Safety Not Guaranteed
by OnTheWildside
Summary: Danielle Cunningham had her whole life figured out until her father became terminally ill and the apocalypse began. She managed on her own for the longest time, then Daryl Dixon came along and turned her world upside down. Takes place after the Season 3 finale and follows closely to the graphic novel and what I think should happen next, loosely based on the comics.
1. Chapter 1

The group had heard of a refugee camp in Washington, D.C. They decided it was their best bet, and having nothing left to lose, they started their venture. They had stopped along the way to gather provisions, making camp when it was convenient.

They had stopped just outside of Chattanooga, TN to get fuel and rest. Daryl had gone out into the woods to hunt for supper and clear his head from recent events. Surrounded by mountains and streams, he could only hope that he would come upon a deer to feed them for a day or so. It had been a good while since he had venison.

He followed some tracks to a secluded meadow where he found a doe taking a drink from the stream. He slipped behind a tree and positioned himself to wait. A few minutes passed and the deer seemed to not notice his presence. At this distance he could have a clear, perfect shot. He steadied himself and pulled the trigger on his cross bow. He was just about to stand and start gutting his deer when a bullet flew out of nowhere and straight through the arrow he had shot into the doe's chest.

"What the-" Daryl exclaimed. He was sure he was alone in the woods. He looked in the direction the bullet came from and saw nothing but limbs.

"Who's out there?" he asked, but silence persisted. He got up and sauntered over to the doe. The bullet had completely split his bolt in two. Almost clear down the center.

"Whoever did this is a helluhva shot." Daryl exclaimed to himself while brushing his hand through his hair. He waited a few moments more but no one came to claim the deer. He grabbed the deer by the hind legs and started the trip back to camp. It wasn't a hard journey, just a long one.

Daryl had made it back without a problem and Carol had started making some venison stew over a small fire.

"Man, that sure was some deer you rustled up." Rick declared.

"Yeah man, I wasn't the only one who thought so."

"What do you mean?"

"Someone else shot her, too. Clean through my shot. Split my arrow, man. I'm running out as it is."

"You couldn't see who it was?"

"Naw. Ain't seen nothing. It practically fell out of the sky."

"Sounds like we aren't alone out here. Do you think we're in danger?"

"If they wanted to, they had a clear shot. Coulda taken me out no problem. Doesn't seem like they wanted anything more than the deer. Musta caught 'em by surprise."

"For all of our sakes, I hope you're right."


	2. Chapter 2

Daryl decided to head out bright and early the next morning to search for any signs of civilization near by. He just couldn't shake the feeling that he was vulnerable. It bothered him that he had been snuck up on in the first place.

He got to the clearing where he shot the deer the day before. It seemed like the best place to start. He walked the parameter a few times before he noticed any sign of tracks. Foot prints. Tiny foot prints. They came from the opposite direction of camp and led straight up to a tree and then stopped. He looked up and that's when he noticed the tree stand perched high up in that tree. About three feet above him he saw a make-shift ladder made from boards that had been nailed into the trunk of the tree. The perch was almost perfectly camouflaged.

There were no tracks leading away from the tree. Whoever this sniper was, Daryl knew one thing. They were still up there.

He had hoped that he hadn't given up his position. Maybe he had gone unnoticed and would still have the upper hand in this situation.

"You know it's not nice to sneak up on people." A voice said from up above. A female voice. Daryl looked up, startled.

"I could say the same."

"Well, I'm not the one stalking you." Daryl still couldn't see her.

"I wouldn't call it stalking. I still haven't seen you, but I figure you seen me the whole time."

"Yeah, your colossal feet gave you away." She laughed.

"Wanna come down and say that to my face?"

"I don't think that's the best idea. I barely know you. How do I know it's safe?"

"I reckon you don't."

"As tempting as that offer sounds, I think I'll stay up here."

"Alright, I can wait."

"I'd prefer you didn't."

"I just wanna talk. "

"You walked all the way out here and tracked me for hours to talk?"

"I wanted to meet the man who is almost as good a shot as me."

"Well, that 'man' would be me. And as I recall, you owe me a deer."

"I owe you? Shit, I was tracking that deer for a mile before I cornered her here."

"You cornered her on my land. My property, my deer, my shot. You owe me."

"You own all this?"

"Most of it, before the world went to shit."

"Wanna tell me your name?"

"Wanna get lost?"

"Not a chance. I could just wait til you come down here."

"You're a stubborn ass, aren't you?"

"You ain't seen half of it."

"I'll come down, but I want you to put the crossbow down."

"I'm not playing games, woman."

"Whose playing? I'll come down when I feel safe. I could have shot you by now, but haven't. Whose to say you don't just kill me as soon as I come down."

"You have my word."

"Words don't mean shit anymore."

Just then a bullet silently flew over Daryl's head. An inch lower and he would have been a goner. "Crossbow. Down. Now." She said.

"Jesus, woman! That was almost my head." He placed the crossbow down and stepped back, raising his hands above his head.

"If I wanted you dead, it would have been." A trap door lifted and she stepped down from the stand. At first all Daryl saw was legs. Long, lean legs. She had on hunting boots and jeans. Her t-shirt was grey and torn on the side and she had a high power rifle strapped over her shoulder. She reached the last step and jumped down the rest of the way. As she turned to face him, he got a better look at the chocolate brown locks that hung in waves around her face and over her shoulders. She looked him in the eyes, mesmerizing him with her own emerald green ones. She was muscular and curvy and gorgeous. Daryl was in awe. She smiled at him and stuck out her hand. "Hi, I'm Danielle Cunningham."

He took her hand, stunned, still staring at the creature before him. "Daryl Dixon." he stammered.

"Well, 'Daryl Dixon', I really should be heading home." She grabbed his crossbow and handed it back to him. He shook his head in an attempt to focus and then asked

"I expect you should be heading back to where ever it is you came from. It's gonna be dark soon." And with that she walked off into the woods leaving Daryl awe struck and enamored.


	3. Chapter 3

_Daryl sat perched on a stump, staring at the water. He was contemplating a moonlit swim when he heard a branch snap behind him. He whipped around, crossbow at the ready when he noticed it wasn't a threat. It was only the girl from the tree. Danielle, he thought her name and shivered at the sweet sound. She was beautiful. The moonlight shimmered across her pale skin. She was in a white night gown, the fabric hung gently from her body and flowed in the breeze. Her hair blew across her face and all Daryl could see was her eyes. They bore into his and he realized he was in trouble. _

"_You're here! I knew you would be!" she exclaimed. She leapt into his strong arms and grabbed his face, her hands soft and cool against the stubble of his cheeks. _

"_You shouldn't be out here alone at night. It's not safe." He scolded. _

"_I'm not alone, silly. You're here. I've never felt safer." She whispered against his lips before pressing her lips to his, soft and careful at first. Daryl grasped the back of her head, hands tangling in her hair and deepened the kiss. Urgency and lust winning the war that Daryl was having with himself. He didn't need a woman. They were nothing but a burden. He was a man, however, and men had needs. It had been a while since Daryl had last had a drunken one night stand. Certainly before this apocalypse had begun. She was soft and warm and welcoming and he found it became harder and harder to resist her touch. He allowed her to sit on his lap and melt into him, if only for the night. _

Daryl sat up, sweat beading along his furrowed brow. He had gasped in frustration.

It was still dark out. Daryl could barely make out the sun waning in the sky from the coverage of his tent. He pulled on his boots, grabbed his pistol and his crossbow and a small pack and went out. It was the perfect time to hunt anyway. He tried to shake off his dream as he walked further and further into the woods but he found himself absent-mindedly walking in the direction of the clearing he now knew to be in the Cunningham's forest. He told himself he would cross the stream and search the opposite side of the clearing. Animals were drawn to the water. It was just a coincidence that he may run into that girl again.

He decided to check and make sure she wasn't in that tree stand before he tried to do anything. The last thing he needed was for her to sneak up and kill his prey again. He got to the base of the tree he knew to be Danielle's and whistled. The sound broke the perfect stillness of the dawn and cut through the air. If she was there and as perceptive as he thought, she would have heard it. Nothing stirred in the tree. He waited another minute or so and then circled around the clearing, under the cover of the trees and crossed the stream to the far side. He found a good spot and settled in to wait. He watched the stream and the sound calmed his nerves. It was peaceful and quiet here. He waited for a few more hours before the sun had fully risen. He didn't see anything. His stomach had begun to growl. He decided to cut his losses and head back to camp. He waded through the water this time, taking the time to wash off some of the dirt and grime he had accumulated while cooling off from the Southern heat at the same time. He filled his canteen with the cool, running water and then started his hike back to camp.

He had dried off by the time he made it back to camp. Some of the group was packing up and getting ready to head into town to try and round up supplies and fuel. Rick, Glenn, and Michonne were about to head out.

"No luck, huh? You think the other hunter scared everything off?" Rick asked.

"Other hunter?" Glenn asked.

"Dixon ran into someone when he got that deer yesterday. Seems as though we have neighbors."

"No one cared to mention that earlier?"

"Figured we would be out of dodge before that became an issue. We weren't exactly planning on staying here this long."

"Well we hadn't planned on running out of gas so far from town either. I think we need to hurry up and get this show on the road. Gather as much as we can today, rest tonight, and get the hell out of town early in the morning." Glenn exclaimed.

"I don't think they're a threat." Daryl protested. The sudden thought of leaving without seeing that girl one more time made his stomach lurch. He was sickened by how he felt about some girl he didn't even know. He didn't need her. He didn't even know her. But he wanted to see her.

"What makes you so sure?" Glenn scoffed.

"They had more than enough chances to take me out, never did."

"And that instantly makes us safe? I'm sorry if I'm not convinced."

Rick intervened. "Alright, guys. Let's just focus on getting ready and getting the hell out of here. We're fortunate to not see many walkers out this far. We shouldn't overstay our welcome."

As the truck pulled into town and parked in front of a small general store, the group hopped out and went to work. Glenn took the pharmacy while Daryl and Rick stalked the shelves for anything useful. Most of the food had been picked through. They managed to wrangle up some bags of rice and dry beans as well as a couple dozen cans of various vegetables. They filled up a buggy and wandered further. All the geeks they ran into in town were already dead. Bodies were sparsely lining the streets and spotted through out the store. Someone had been in here cleaning out. They checked the storage room in the back of the store and found it empty, the garage door for receiving freight was wide open. Someone had hauled off all stock. "Someone was prepared." Rick stammered before making his way back to the front of the store. Glenn had managed to find batteries, lighters, butane, and various medications. They also ran across some fine Tennessee whiskey.

The group made their way back outside and filled up the bed of the truck, then got to work siphoning fuel from the few cars that they had come across. They filled a few jugs before they started to run out of room in the truck. They made their way back to camp before turning back around in search of more fuel. They ended up having to drive out further to find more vehicles to drain fuel from. On their way out, they passed a giant sign reading "Cunningham Residence Est. 1879" The sign was on a wrought iron gate that surrounded the woods. In the distance, all you could see were trees. Daryl gapped at the residence. His heart leapt in his chest. He had a pretty good idea where he could find Danielle if he needed to.

After the day's thrifting, they found some really useful stuff and had enough supplies and fuel to make it at least a few hundred more miles before having to scavenge again. The group settled down to more venison stew and rice.

Things had settled down and Daryl felt like he was the only one awake. He just lay on his back, staring up at the sky. Daryl had had his share of whiskey, but not nearly enough to pass out drunk. He felt it best that he be level-headed when they went to leave in the morning. That's of course if he could ever get to sleep. He couldn't stop thinking about that woman that had almost killed him. He had to see her one last time. If he hurried now, he might be able to see her and be back before the group left in the morning. He didn't know where he would find her or what he was going to do when he did, but he knew he had to try.


	4. Chapter 4

Daryl had stumbled into the woods. He had passed the clearing where he first encountered Danielle and was making his way through the trees in the direction of the house they had seen from the road. He wasn't quite sure how far he had walked and it was pitch black out. Suddenly he came upon a tall, massive iron fence. Within the fence he could see an equally massive brick house and a smaller warehouse not far behind. A single light was on upstairs. There was no way Daryl would be able to scale that fence and make it over. It was tall and strong and the tops of the posts were spiked. "Now what?" he muttered to himself. This had been the worst idea he had had in a while. What was he even doing out here? He clutched his crossbow to his chest and turned to go back when a few walkers stumbled around the gate headed right towards him. He didn't have enough to time lift his bow before a walker had pressed him into the gate. He used the crossbow as leverage with one hand and struggled to keep the walker back as he reached for his hunting knife. He lifted it out of its holder on his hip and sliced his leg just before stabbing the first walker in the head. Just as he did he heard three shots and before he knew what had happened, the other three walkers fell to the ground. He turned toward the house to see who had helped him out when a fourth shot rang and he jumped to the ground, barely missing the shot. "Hold fire!" He heard someone shout and the back door to the house opened. "We take them out quietly or not at all. I thought the area was cleared. The must be migrating." He recognized the voice. She held a shot gun this time as she gracefully walked through the yard towards the fence. "You've got to be kidding me…" She scoffed. "You must have a death wish or something, Dixon. What are you doing out here at night? We could have killed you!"

"Almost did." He stammered as he got to his feet. She noticed the cut on his thigh.

"Were you scratched?"

"Naw, hunting knife cut me in the struggle. "

"Miss Cunningham, ya'll right out there?" A man called from the backdoor.

"Yeah, Jed! Get the key for the back gate! My friend here needs stitches!"

"I'll be alright. I need to get going anyway." Daryl tried to protest.

"Like hell. I practically see bone. You're coming inside."

Jed ran toward them holding a key ring. "One uh 'em was human?!" He asked.

"Told you to hold fire, Jed. Nothing's getting through the fence. Waste of ammo to keep shooting the stragglers."

"Yes ma'am." He choked, unlocking a gate Daryl didn't even notice. Daryl slipped in and they locked the gate.

"Jed, this is Daryl Dixon, the man you almost killed. He's our new neighbor. Daryl, this is trigger-happy Jed."

"Sorry, man. I guess I have to be more careful." he said, extending his hand.

Danielle led the men inside. The house was untouched. It was spotless inside. It seemed un phased by the apocalypse happening all around them. "Have a seat." She said pulling out a chair. "I'll go get the supplies. Jed, get back to the attic."

"Yes ma'am." He curtly nodded and then ran up the stairs. Danielle disappeared for a second and came back with a box of supplies. She laid them out on the table. "You might want to take your pants off."

"My wha-?"

"Your pants. I need to get to the wound."

"I don't think so."

"What, too shy? Suit your self." She laughed, then knelt down and ripped his jeans to reveal his thigh and the puncture he had sustained. "Some hunting knife. Are you gonna need aspirin or something for the pain?"

"Naw. I'll be fine."

"You sure? I can stick my thumb in this cut with room to spare. You'll need at least eight stitches. And there's a lot of blood."

"I've seen worse. Just git on with it."

"Alright then." She pulled a rag out and poured alcohol on it and cleaned the area then pulled out a needle and surgical thread and set about the task. "You ready?" She asked. He had winced at the sting from the alcohol. He just nodded and bit his lip. "Here we go." And the needle pierced his skin. "So, what were you doing out there anyway?" She coaxed him into keeping his mind off the pain.

"Not really sure." He mumbled through the pain.

"Must have been a good reason to risk your life to come all the way out here in the middle of the night."

"Couldn't sleep."

"So you considered suicide?"

"Naw. My group was leaving in the morning. Figured I'd say goodbye. Ya know, to the area."

"Uh huh…"

"So you a doctor or something?"

"RN. Or I was."

"And you held up here? In this house this whole time?"

"Even longer. The boys and I cleared out the area. It was a small town anyway. Population was 256 before the outbreak. Last I checked we were the only ones left."

"How many uh you's here?" He asked. Relied set in as he realized she was on the last stitch.

"Five. Me, Jed, you met him, and his father, Jace, Mrs. Lynch, and my daddy." She snipped the thread and lay the needle down.

"An all ya'll is here? This whole time?" Daryl briefly considered how awkward it would be if her father woke up and wandered down here, seeing his little girl on the floor, kneeling in front of the redneck with ripped pants. He shook the thought off. Maybe he really did have too much to drink.

"We do what we can. I cleared out part of the warehouse and took the trucks into town, cleared out the stores, took anything of use. Held up here most of the time." She got off the floor and sat in the chair next to him.

"You still got power?"

"Most of the houses out here have propane fueled electricity. It's a natural resource around here. Been using it as sparingly as possible."

"You got yer own little paradise out here."

"I'd hardly say all that. So, where are you from?"

"Georgia."

"You're quite a ways from home."

"My group decided to head east."

"So, you gonna really tell me what you were doing outside?"

"Had a dream about you." It slipped out without even thinking. He was mentally kicking himself.

She raised an eyebrow, "A dream, huh? What kind of dream?"

"Nevermind."

She shook her head and changed the subject quickly. "Look, you wanna get cleaned up and change? Its late now but we can get up early and I'll take you back to your people so you don't get left behind."

Shower and sleep sounded like heaven to Daryl. He hadn't actually bathed in months. He stood, wincing at the pain in his leg and then followed Danielle upstairs. She opened a door to the bathroom and told him to wait there. She came back with clothes and put them in his hand. "Use the hot water sparingly. Towels are on the top shelf. I'll be across the hall if you need me." She turned and shut the door behind her.

The shower was amazing. Daryl couldn't remember the last time he had washed his hair or anything. The hot water stung his fresh cut but he ignored the feeling. Whiskey still surging through his veins. He dried off and got changed. The clothes fit well, surprisingly. He came out of the bathroom and looked the hall up and down. All the doors were shut but there was a faint light from the door directly in front of him. He knocked on the door.

"Come in." Danielle's voice was a whisper but he heard her approval and opened the door slightly. She had changed clothes and was sitting in front of a mirror brushing her hair. He looked around the room. It must have been her's as a child. The four-poster bed had a long, flowing pink canopy that matched the bed spread and walls. "You can sit down, if you'd like." She smiled. He looked around sheepishly and sat gingerly on the bed. The room was covered in pictures of Danielle with various people. Smiling with friends in their bathing suits by the lake, wearing a prom dress and posing with a young man wrapped around her waist, her in her cap and gown with an older man smiling and leaned over her shoulder. She was homecoming queen, valedictorian, little miss popular. Daryl hadn't even graduated. He dropped out after Merle got arrested the third time and his dad went on a bender with the local saloon's waitress and never came home. He was so far beneath her it wasn't even funny.

"Why you bein' so nice to me?" He asked.

She turned around from her seat at the vanity and laughed. "I'd like to think if I were stuck out in the woods and needing help, someone might do the same for me. I know the world has gone to shit, but I still like to believe in the kindness of people. That, and I don't remember the last time I saw another person. Besides the help of course."

"I don't need your pity. I can handle myself." He muttered.

She stood up, surprised by his outburst and stepped closer to him. His jaw dropped when he saw what she had changed into. The nightgown. The same silk and white lacy one from his dream. "I'm not pitying you. I thought you could use the help. I'm not keeping you here against your will. You can leave whenever you want to. I'll let you stay the night downstairs if you would like. If you'd rather leave now, just say the word."

He sighed, he realized he was pushing away when this girl was just trying to be nice to him. "I'll stay."

"All right, then. I'll set you up on the couch downstairs. I hope that's okay, we're actually out of guest rooms." She led him downstairs and into the living room.

"Beats sleeping on the ground."

"Do you need anything? Some water or something?" He just shook his head and sat down on the couch. She got him a blanket and sat it on the arm of the couch. "If you need anything, just holler." He nodded, and with that she was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

"You crazy, girl? Bringing strangers in the house. You know we got it a lot better than most people out there. Times is changed. People is selfish. Could kill us and take the house if they wanna. And here you is, worried 'bout a little cut on his leg, letting him in, showin' him kindness. What would your daddy say?"

"He would welcome him in and offer him the world, Jace. Need I remind you how you got your job here? Drunk and broke, asking for handouts. Daddy took pity on you, let you work in the warehouse. You would never have cleaned yourself up without him. You'd do well to remember that. Even if the world is changed, not all people are evil."

Machines started beeping in the room beside Daryl. Not like he was asleep anyway. The alcohol had worn off and he heard the yelling. Danielle ran through the room and opened the door, the intensity of the beeping growing. "Shit. Jace! Get Mrs. Lynch!" she screamed. "Hang on, daddy." She stood at the doorway, waiting for an older woman with curlers in her hair and a housecoat on to come down the stairs. "Pressure's dropping again." Danielle told her. The light from the room was glaring on the couch. She noticed Daryl's stirring. "Daryl, I'm so sorry, you can go upstairs to my room if you'd like."

He just growled and stood up. "Anything I can do?" He figured he would ask. She looked so worried even though she would say no. Jace ran by with a bag and they all crammed into the extra room. "Just go rest. I'll come up soon." She tried to smile at him reassuringly. He could tell she was paJaceing but decided to make himself scarce. As he neared the stairs he saw the old man from Danielle's graduation picture sitting in a hospital bed, surrounded by machines. His skin was graying with liver spots peppering his skin. By the looks of it, he had been in that be for a while. He tried to look as sympathetic as possible as he went back upstairs.

He felt odd being in Danielle's bedroom. He laid down on the bed spread and just closed his eyes for a moment. Before he knew it the sun had peered through the windows and Danielle opened the door. "Rise and shine!" He groaned and sat up. Danielle started rummaging through drawers and went into the bathroom. "Mrs. Lynch is in the kitchen making breakfast. As soon as we're done, we can get going." She called through the door. She came out moments later and stood by the door.

Daryl was amazed by how upbeat she was despite the events earlier that morning. "Everything okay?" he asked.

"Everything's fine. Happens from time to time." She turned and walked back downstairs. Daryl wasn't far behind. The table was set for four. Jed and Danielle were already sitting at the table. Danielle motioned for Daryl to sit next to her. The older woman, still in her housecoat and rollers still in her hair, was hard at work at the stove. She fixed a plate and handed it to Jed. "Run this up to your father." Then she turned and smiled at Daryl. "You must be Daryl." She reached out to shake his hand.

"This is Mrs. Lynch. She raised me." Danielle beamed.

"Ma'am." He politely nodded and took her hand.

"He's got a strong handshake. I like that." She winked at Danielle. "Now eat up." She gave them each a plate and sat down at the table herself. "Danielle tells me you came from Georgia. That your people are a mile or so down the road. Where're you headed?"

"We heard about a refugee camp'n Washington, D.C. The way things have been goin' for us, we ain't really had nothin' else to lose. Figured we'd give it a shot."

"Refugee camp, huh? Ya'll never thoughta stayin' here?"

"We've been movin' place to place, but nowhere ends up being safe."

That comment killed the conversation. Jed returned to the table and after breakfast, Jed walked outside and returned moments later. "Jeep's ready, Miss Cunningham. Sure you wanna go alone?"

"I'll be alright. Just going down the road." She stood up and prompted Daryl to do the same. She had his backpack and crossbow by the door. She pulled a rifle from a rack by the door and opened the door. "I should be back in an hour or so." Jed followed them as they left the mansion. He walked past the car and waited by the front gate.

"You sure you got everything?" Danielle asked him as she started the car.

"Yeah." He was sad to be leaving. By now the group should be up and moving. It was now or never for him to meet back up with his brother and the group. They pulled forward and Jed opened and closed the gate behind them. He politely waved at Daryl.

"What's wrong with him?" Daryl finally asked, breaking the silence. "Yer dad, I mean."

"Hepatic necrosis. In laments terms, his liver is failing. It's not like I can do a liver transplant under these circumstances, so I'm just trying to make him as comfortable as possible until…"

"Sorry."

"No, it's alright. He was an alcoholic for a long time. My great, great grandfather helped launch a whiskey business with his friends down here. It became a family trade. Whiskey was all he knew. Like, before my mom died. Mrs. Lynch and her husband stepped in after that. They made him realize he had to be a father first and the liquor had to wait. Even after he quit, the damage was just too much. A few months before the outbreak, he came down with jaundice. I moved back home to be his in-home care provider. I've been trying to keep the power on to keep him breathing."

"My old man drank, too. He was never home. Always out. 'Cept he never quit. Was a mean drunk, too."

Danielle took one hand off the wheel and grabbed Daryl's, squeezing it. "Should I leave you a block or so from your camp? Do you think it's safe if I show myself?"

"Might be best. We'll just pretend this never happened." With that, she let go of his hand. The thought never occurred to him that he may have to keep Danielle a secret. He wasn't sure where Rick's directions might go if they knew Danielle had managed supplies and power in a safe environment. He barely knew this girl, but he definitely knew he wanted to keep her safe. "Here's good." He muttered. She pulled off the road and stopped the car but kept it running. Daryl reached for the handle but paused, looking back at Danielle. "Thank you. For everything."

"Oh, here! I almost forgot." She handed him a bottle full of little white pills. "The round ones are antibiotics and the oval ones are for the pain. Take care of that wound." She leaned over and hugged Daryl and gently pressed her lips to his cheek. "Good luck. I hope you find what you're looking for."

Somehow, Daryl realized, he already had.


	6. Chapter 6

It took everything in Daryl to not run after that SUV as she drove away. He pushed himself to walk into the woods and straight through until he made it back to camp.

"There he is! We were just about to send a search party!" Carol exclaimed.

"Told you he would be fine." Rick stated.

"Just lost tracka time." Daryl shrugged. He changed back into his shirt while in the woods but decided to keep the pants so his thigh wasn't exposed. He walked up to his tent and put the last of his belongings into the motorcycle. Camp was mostly packed up when he had arrived and the group was more then ready to leave. Daryl hopped behind the handlebars, but he wasn't ready to go.

"Everyone ready?" Rick asked. No one disagreed, so he continued. "Remember, two quick honks and we all stop. Stick together. Keep up with the group." He hopped in his own truck with Carl, Beth, and baby Judith and led the caravan north.

Daryl revved the engine of the old bike. It was the last thing he had left of his late brother, Merle. The martyr who saved the group. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was making a mistake leaving. He swerved into the road, following Rick. As Rick pulled into the road, he ran over some wreckage and one of the tires blew. "You've gotta be kiddin' me!" he slammed his hand on the steering wheel and honked twice. He leapt from the vehicle and kicked the tire. The rest of the group stopped and walked over.

"Can't you guys squeeze into one of the other cars?" Maggie asked. She was more than ready to leave.

"Even if we could we need the truck for supplies. It's got most of the food." Rick said.

"So we scout ahead. Try and find a compatible tire." Glenn said. "Takes an hour, two tops. Then we get the hell out of here."

Glenn, Rick, and Daryl headed up the road. They stopped at a huge traffic jam. They took out the occasional walker as quietly as possible and searched for tires.

They found a flipped over Ford Ranger and decided it was the best they could do. They wouldn't even need to lift the car.

"Is it just me, or are more and more walkers coming out of the woods?" Glenn asked. They all looked up and realized a herd was coming towards them.

"Shit. We have to warn the others." Daryl shouted. They rushed toward the car and shot down the road. The massive herd was headed straight for their camp, straight toward the Cunningham's house.

"Herd is headed this way! About fifty or so geeks!" Glenn shouted. "What do we do?" He asked Rick. Rick just shook his head. Over the hill they could see the herd closing in.


	7. Chapter 7

Danielle could hear the walker's moans echoing through the woods. She had gone out to clear her head. The hard-headed redneck had gotten to her. Part of her wished he hadn't left. She couldn't shake the feeling that there were feelings between them that they had left unexplored. She only hoped they made it out of town before the herd had made their appearance. She was calculating her escape back to the safety of her fenced in yard when she heard the screams.

Back at camp, Rick instructed the group to get in the cars. They were outnumbered and unprepared to take on this many walkers.

Daryl got the bike started but the road was overflowing with walkers. He had no idea how to get around them. He pulled out his pistol and started shooting. The group was forced to fight off the walkers if they wanted to get out of Tennessee.

Danielle followed the screaming out to the highway. She realized it was Daryl's group once she got closer. They hadn't moved since that morning. She got close enough so she could see the pavement and then hoisted herself into a tree. It's a good thing she took the high powered rifle and extra ammo. She counted about fifty biters from her perch in the tree. She spotted Daryl right away. He was on a motorcycle, completely unprotected. Biters had overwhelmed two of the cars and whoever was inside was shooting through cracks in the windows. These people needed help if they were going to get any further.

Danielle stationed herself on the branch, using it as leverage to stabilize the rifle, and then she started aiming and firing, focusing on the ones closest to the cars at first. She helped them get caught up.

Daryl noticed the bullets coming from the trees. He looked up into the woods. He knew who was helping them even if he couldn't see her.

"Who was sniping all these walkers?" Glenn shouted. The walkers were taken out and everyone seemed to be safe.

Daryl got off the bike and walked into the woods. "You stalkin' me now?" She asked.

"I heard the screams from the woods. I thought you guys had gotten out of town by now. Thought maybe some other dumb redneck needed help." She laughed, jumping down from the tree.

"You must be the sniper!" Glenn exclaimed, wandering over to where Daryl had gone, discovering he wasn't alone. "I'm Glenn!" He extended his hand to her.

"Danielle." She reciprocated.

"You're a life saver! I don't know what we would have done if you hadn't shown up. Come meet the group! They'll want to meet their savior."

Danielle laughed and looked to Daryl, almost asking permission with her eyes to see if he wanted to let her further into his world. He nodded curtly and followed her out onto the road. Everyone had gotten out of their cars and were checking to make sure everyone had remained unbitten. "Guys, this is the sniper!" Glenn explained as he wrapped his arm around Maggie.

"Danielle." She added. She met everyone and they thanked her profusely.

"She must be the other hunter?" Rick asked Daryl. Daryl just nodded, sheepishly. He was almost jealous of the attention she was giving everyone else.

In all the excitement, the group almost hadn't noticed that the sun was setting and they were out of time to drive. "Are we still going to head out of town? It's getting dark and we need to make a decision, soon. The gunshots might have attracted more walkers." Carl butted in.

Without thinking, Danielle offered the group the safety of her fence. She told them they could park in her yard and spend the night.

"Are you sure? That's more than generous." Rick said.

She just nodded. Daryl grabbed her wrist and drug her over to the motorcycle. "You sure about this? You don't haveta take us in."

"Daryl, it's fine. It's only for the night. You know you can't drive at night. The boy's right. It wont be safe here after the ruckus we just caused."

"If you're sure, then. You should ride with me." He almost pleaded.

"On a motorcycle?" He could tell she was worried. He would bet she had never ridden on one before.

"Yeah. Ya scared?"

"A little, actually."

"Don't be. Juss hold on tight." He started the bike. "Hey, follow us!" he shouted to the group. He coaxed Danielle to get onto the bike and then wrapped her arms around his chest.

The ride was nice. Danielle almost didn't want to let go of Daryl to open the gates. She let them park their cars in the back yard of the house, closer to the warehouse and the woods. She had Mrs. Lynch cook enough supper for the guests. Mrs. Lynch was excited to see new people. She got to show off her cooking skills and southern hospitality. She was especially excited to see Daryl. "Knew you wouldn't be gone long." She teased. He just smirked.

She let the group start a fire in the yard and they sat around it and talked while they ate supper. Jed even came down to meet their guests.

The group had a lot of questions for Danielle. Typical questions about the power and supplies. Glenn asked how she got to be such a good shot. Daryl's ears perked up. He had wondered the same thing. "Daddy was a hunter." She explained. "The one thing he taught me was how to be a good shot. It was the only bonding time we had together."

Danielle shared some of their whiskey and they toasted to their gracious hostess.

Grateful for their night of safety and buzzing from the liquor, the group slept well that night.


	8. Chapter 8

Danielle stared out of her bedroom window. She had a perfect view of the backyard and could see the fires embers, still red and slowly dying down. She searched the dark for the outline of Daryl's tent. She wanted so badly to feel close to him.

The next morning, Mrs. Lynch prepared breakfast for their guests. The group was beyond excited to actually have coffee for a change. When Danielle didn't join them, Mrs. Lynch explained that she had not been sleeping for a few nights and she finally wore herself out. She decided to let the girl sleep as long as she could.

"Well, I don't think we should leave without saying goodbye to her." Glenn explained.

"Well I guess that just means ya'll should stay for another day." Mrs. Lynch smiled knowingly.

Mrs. Lynch continued with the days chores, washing the dishes and doing some laundry. She asked Daryl to help her carry the baskets out to the lines. "You know, I haven't seen my girl smile in quite a long time. I thought I should thank you."

"I don't think it got to do with me." Daryl retorted.

"On the contrary. I think you are the sole reason she is smiling lately. Danielle has had to deal with more than any person should, even in the current global situation. She's watching her father die." Tears welled in her eyes as she hung out the clothes. "The power is surging more frequently as of late. Each night he dies when the machines cut off and we have to resuscitate him. The longer it goes on, the more I fear for her. She's making silly decisions. Not that I regret her taking you all in. I actually think that's one of the best ideas she has had in a while. It's not good for her to be cooped up in this yard all the time. It's not good for any of us. Poor Jed, he's so young. He never even got to graduate high school. And his father, he's young still. I would have liked to have seen him settled down again by now. This outbreak, it's taken away a lot of opportunities from us all. It's such a shame, I had such high hopes for that little girl." She sighed and just looked at Daryl.

Daryl didn't know what she wanted him to say. He just looked down at his shoes. "Need anything else, ma'am?"

"Yes, but nothing I can ask from you. I'll get Jed to bring down some tubs and bring the hose out so you all can wash some clothes. There's a safety shower on the other side of the ware house that you all can use. I'll send out some soap, too. I'm sorry, there's not much else I can do for you all."

"That's more than generous, ma'am. Thank you."

"Ya know, Danielle's father would love you. I wish you could have met him." With that, she walked inside.

The group spent the rest of the hot summer's day washing clothes, bathing, and enjoying the short rest they were able to take. They offered to take turns with Jace and Jed, watching over the yard from the attic, but Jed declined. "Orders, I hope you understand. Dad doesn't want you all inside. It's silly, really."

"No, it's fine. You all have done so much for us already, we figured it was the least we could do. We would like to make some type of contribution." Rick offered. It's no surprise that the group had considered trying to stay here. The house was safe. The fence provided more than enough protection and they were close to the mountains so they barely saw any walkers. Michonne and Daryl quickly took care of any walkers that showed up. They had well water and electricity. This could be the home they've been searching for.

Danielle was still asleep upstairs. Mrs. Lynch had finished her daily duties and was starting supper. She took a few minutes to check on Mr. Cunningham. She sat on the side of his hospital bed, tears slowly flowing down her wrinkled face. He's just lying there, machines breathing for him, basically a vegetable. "It's not fair, you know." She whispered to him. "She gave up everything to help you. The way the world is, she probably won't have another chance. We're all just stuck in this house, waiting for you to die. Well, I'm so sorry, dear, but frankly, I'm sick of waiting." She cut the machines off. Just like that. "I'm so sorry. It's really better this way. You don't know what's happening out there. People are eating each other. Dying and rising back up. Your girl needs to get someplace safe. She can't do that with you still here like this." She reasoned as he choked for air. He nodded as if he understood and consented to this plan, then he ceased all movement. Mrs. Lynch got up. "Lord, forgive me." She whispered, then shut the machines back on. The heart monitor began beeping almost instantly. "Jed!" She screamed out the door, "Get Danielle! Hurry!"


	9. Chapter 9

Danielle ran down the stairs in her pajamas. She didn't have time to think. She rushed in the room. Mrs. Lynch was trying to perform CPR on the lifeless body in the hospital bed. "Leave us!" Danielle screamed, closing the door on Jed and Jace. "What happened?" She asked, already knowing the answer, tears flowing down her face. "Daddy?" She lay down on top of his, holding his hospital gown and crying.

"It's over, sweetheart. Time to say goodbye." Mrs. Lynch reasoned. She turned off the heart monitor.

"I'm so sorry, Daddy. I didn't wanna fail you!" she cried. The lifeless body began to twitch beneath her. "Daddy?" But it wasn't her daddy. Not anymore. He had changed that quickly. The gurgling, moaning noise released from his throat said it all. Danielle jumped off the bed but her father grabbed her wrist and held her back.

Mrs. Lynch realized what was happening. "Get to the door, girl!" she pried his hand from Danielle's wrist and pushed the girl forward. Danielle froze in fear, bracing herself against the door. Her father had pulled himself up out of bed by himself for the first time in months. Mrs. Lynch tried to rush past him screaming "The door girl, the door!" but Mr. Cunningham grabbed the old woman and took a bite from her neck. "Get out, Danielle! I didn't mean for this to happen." Mrs. Lynch gasped as she fell to the floor screaming.

Danielle got the door open and fell backwards against the adjacent wall. The men had left the house, it was all she could do to scream as her father fell hungrily on top of the girl. Danielle held him back by the throat as she screamed for help. She had no weapons hidden in her pajamas.

Daryl heard the screams from outside. He grabbed his crossbow and ran inside past the other men and found Danielle holding off the zombie. He didn't even think, he shot the walker in the head, the lifeless body toppling onto Danielle, the arrow getting stuck mere inches from her face. The girl was sobbing and screaming uncontrollably. Daryl came and pulled the body off of Danielle and saw Mrs. Lynch lying on the bedroom floor in a pool of blood. "Get her upstairs!" Jace yelled at Daryl, the other men finally making it inside. Daryl knelt down and picked Danielle up off the floor and she began kicking and screaming. Jace ran in the room and put a bullet into Mrs. Lynch's head before she had a chance to turn, then pulled a needle out of the bedside table and stabbed it into Danielle's thigh.

"The fuck was that?" Daryl yelled.

"It's a mild sedative. She needs to calm down. Get her upstairs before she hurts herself. Jed and I will take care of this mess." He instructed. Jed was standing by the staircase, silently sobbing. Danielle stopped beating Daryl with kicks and punches and her crying became more controlled and he was able to carry her upstairs and laid her down on her bed.

He turned to leave, not knowing what to say or do but she caught his arm. "Stay with me?" she pleaded in between sobs. He couldn't say no. He sat down next to her on the bed but she grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him down, his lips colliding with hers. Daryl was stunned at first, but warmed up to the kiss. The kisses were urgent and pleading. Danielle just wanted to feel affection, feel close to someone again. Her father and the only woman she knew as a mother figure were both dead. She would do anything to forget about it for the time.

She grabbed at his shirt and lifted over his head, breaking the kisses for a moment. She ran her hands down his back and when she felt the scars, she stopped. She backed off and they just stared into each others eyes. "I'm so sorry." She whispered.

He didn't say anything. He only looked at her. He wanted to tell her it was okay and to apologize for what had happened, how he had to kill her father. He knew she was hurting, but he just didn't know what to do. "I'm not good with words." He mumbled.

She just stared back at him sympathetically. "Please don't feel sorry for me. Don't ruin this." She grabbed his face again and pulled it towards hers. Daryl was getting carried away in all the senses. It had been so long for him. Too long. He was over whelmed by the taste of her lips, the softness of her curves, the warmth of her bare skin under his rough, strong hands. She was every bit the perfect woman. He couldn't even imagine why she had chosen him, of all people. She started undoing his pants, grabbing at him with even more force. She leaned up and helped him get undressed, then pulled off her own top and slid out of her shorts. He was amazed as he kissed her neck and her chest. Never had someone this flawless seen anything in him. He almost didn't believe what was happening as he fell into her. "Please don't leave me." She whispered against his neck. He knew that by now he never could.


	10. The First Time (A Cont of Chap 9)

**After multiple PM's and reviews saying I needed to elaborate on Daryl and Danielle's "first time", I decided to add in this little excerpt. Enjoy!**

_He turned to leave, not knowing what to say or do but she caught his arm. "Stay with me?" she pleaded in between sobs. He couldn't say no. He sat down next to her on the bed but she grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him down, his lips colliding with hers. Daryl was stunned at first, but warmed up to the kiss. The kisses were urgent and pleading. Danielle just wanted to feel affection, feel close to someone again. Her father and the only woman she knew as a mother figure were both dead. She would do anything to forget about it for the time._

_She grabbed at his shirt and lifted over his head, breaking the kisses for a moment. She ran her hands down his back and when she felt the scars, she stopped. She backed off and they just stared into each others eyes. "I'm so sorry." She whispered. _

_He didn't say anything. He only looked at her. He wanted to tell her it was okay and to apologize for what had happened, how he had to kill her father. He knew she was hurting, but he just didn't know what to do. "I'm not good with words." He mumbled. _

_She just stared back at him sympathetically. "Please don't feel sorry for me. Don't ruin this." She grabbed his face again and pulled it towards hers. Daryl was getting carried away in all the senses. It had been so long for him. Too long. He was over whelmed by the taste of her lips, the softness of her curves, the warmth of her bare skin under his rough, strong hands. She was every bit the perfect woman. He couldn't even imagine why she had chosen him, of all people. She started undoing his pants, grabbing at him with even more force. She leaned up and helped him get undressed, then pulled off her own top and slid out of her shorts. He was amazed as he kissed her neck and her chest. Never had someone this flawless seen anything in him. He almost didn't believe what was happening as he fell into her. "Please don't leave me." She whispered against his neck. He knew that by now he never could_.

She laid back and closed her eyes as she succumbed to the beauty that was Daryl. This broken, healing man was so strangled by his own demons that he hardly had time for hers. It was nice, feeling so close to someone who she barely knew. Though her life struggles paled in comparison to Daryl's, she still felt as though their anguish brought them closer together.

She gasped, taken from her own thought as Daryl carefully massaged and kissed her bare breasts, very tentatively and carefully. "I'm not made of porcelain. I wont break." She encouraged him. He took this light criticism into consideration and bit down gently on one of her nipples, pulling lightly and causing her to moan gratuitously.

Daryl didn't know much about passion. His own sexual encounters were boiled down to a string of one-night stands with careless, tasteless, and often drunk women he met at bars and the drug dens that his brother frequented. They were rushed and primitive. They were all about getting off. Never had he cared for those women. He couldn't even remember most of their names. He suddenly became self-concious. Danielle seemd like a girl who had few lovers. She probably lost her virginity to her high-school sweetheart and it was probably one of those perfect nights where his parents were out of town so he made her dinner and lit candles and took her on his pristine bed with fresh white linen sheets as "Let's Get It On" played in the background. He wasn't the flowers and chocolates boyfriend. He never even had what you would call a proper girlfriend. Something about Danielle made him want to try and that scared him more than anything. In these times, life wasn't guaranteed. He could barely look after himself and his group. Everyday was becoming a struggle. He couldn't let anyone die, they depended on him. He didn't know what he would do if anything happened to this girl. He would die for her, he knew that.

Consumed with his thoughts and overwhelmed with lust and feelings, Daryl ravished his young lover, covering her body in passionate kisses and bites. He made his way down to her lace panties and took a deep breath, biting down on the hem line and pulling down. She lifted her hips and helped him. He drug them down and around her ankles, pulling them over her feet. He hoisted her up so that her knees hung over his burly shoulders and leaned into her, pressing down onto her chest, supporting himself on his capable arms, his muscles rippling from the tension.

She gasped as her slide into her, so smoothly, but with the heat of his passion. She was overwhelmed with the intensity of the situation, her senses heightened by the absurdity of it all. She barely knew this man and she was letting into her most private part. Daryl was very primal, almost animalistic. It both scared and aroused her. This wasn't like her at all, but she justified the encounter with the fact that this was the goddamned apocalypse. Nothing was certain anymore. Carpe diem and all that shit. She tried to calm her mind and focus on Daryl. How he was filling her almost completely and the painful pleasure she was receiving.

His eyes were burrowing into hers, trying to sense what it was she wanted. He would give it to her, more than willingly. His thrusts hastened as he sped up, over compensating for his lack of words. He realized she was close when she started screaming. She covered her mouth with her arm and bit down as she let out one last cry with enthusiasm. Her climax sent him over the edge and he pulled out quickly, releasing himself on her thigh. He pulled himself out from under her legs and fell to the bed beside her, retracting into himself again. Danielle lay there, catching her breath as he pulled himself off the bed, scouring the floor for his boxers.

"You're not going, are you?" she whimpered. The tears had returned, filling her eyes to the brim, almost spilling out.

He looked at her, ashamed of himself and his cursed ways. It was force of habit to run away as soon as he felt things. He had to try harder. "No, I'm not going anywhere." He admitted. He fell back onto the bed and, with relief, Danielle fell back into his arms.


	11. Chapter 10

"We have to make it to the cemetery." Danielle argued with Jace, "They both deserve to be with their spouses. It's only five miles. I'll do it myself if you wont help me."

"It's too risky." He retorted. "We can't risk more lives. We can bury them out in the yard."

"I won't. It's not what either of them would have wanted." She sobbed. Jace had wrapped the bodies in old sheets last night and he and Jed had taken them to the ware house, thinking they could bury the bodies in the backyard.

Danielle had spent the night with Daryl in her bed, curled up in each other, and not speaking at all. It was a fine distraction, but now they were left with the task of a make-shift funeral.

It was early morning, still. The sun hadn't risen yet. Danielle had left Daryl upstairs asleep and went to speak to Jace. Jace didn't mention the fact that she came down wearing Daryl's shirt.

"I'll help her. It won't take long." Jed added.

"Absolutely not. It isn't safe."

"I'll find someone to help me. Don't you worry about that." Danielle ran back up the stairs and slammed her door, then crawled back into bed with Daryl.

"What was that 'bout?" Daryl's voice was husky with sleep.

"I need help to get the bodies to the cemetery. Daddy and Mrs. Lynch both have plots out there already. Jace says it's too risky."

"I'll help. I'm sure I can get some of the guys to help you, too." He awkwardly pulled himself out of the bed and found his clothes. He frowned, noticing his shirt was missing from the haphazard pile on the floor, then realized Danielle was donning the ripped button down.

"Sorry." She muttered, starting to unbutton the shirt. When he realized she had on nothing underneath it he blushed and looked away, holding out his hand for the shabby material.

Daryl made his way downstairs after he was fully clothed and pitched the idea to Rick. The group agreed it would be no problem to help Danielle take her father and Mrs. Lynch to the cemetery.

Danielle awoke to an empty bed. She frowned to herself but tried not to linger on the idea. Instead, she got dressed and went to make breakfast. She had skipped dinner last night in all the chaos and was quite famished. Jed joined her in the kitchen. "He's asleep. If you wanna go now, he can't stop us."

"That's sweet, Jed, but I don't think there is much he can do to stop me anyway. We all know it's the right thing to do. I wanna go soon anyway, before it gets too hot."

"I'll get them in the car, then. Your friends said they'd go with us." She nodded and sat down at the table. All the emotions were a little overwhelming for her. She had slowly been preparing for her fathers death but now Mrs. Lynch was gone too and she wasn't quite sure what was going on with her and Daryl.

Daryl finished helping Jed get the cars ready and sat down to prep his crossbow. He needed time to think. He wasn't quite sure of his emotions. Danielle was way out of his league and yet she chose to confide in him. He had no idea how to react to genuine affection. It was a little too much for him. He had a hard time staying the night with her. He was used to sleeping outside, alone. Dixon's didn't need other people, but living in this world as it was alone was only getting harder.

"We ready to go?" Danielle asked. Daryl couldn't help but stare. She had pulled her hair back into a pony tail but a tiny strand had gotten left out and was curling around her face. She had on jean shorts and a black t-shirt.

"Yeah, we decided Daryl and I would accompany you and Jed. We weren't sure if you would want us all with you as you, ya know, say good bye." Rick spoke up.

"No, that's fine. It's fine." She started to get behind the wheel of the SUV and Jed spoke up, "Are you sure you don't want me to drive?"

"You're right. It's probably not a good idea." She got into the backseat with Daryl. They locked the gate behind them and made the venture to the church's cemetery. It wasn't a long drive at all. Danielle led them to Mrs. Lynch's plot, next to her husband and Jed and Rick started digging.

"She was one of the best people I knew. She was my role model. She stepped up and raised me after my mom died. Not a lot of people would do that." Danielle said.

"She was like a mother to me, too. She was so sweet and kind. And man, could she cook." Jed joked.

The group solemnly walked to the plot where Danielle's mother lay to rest. The tombstone had their wedding photo on it. "He never loved another woman." Danielle muttered. Daryl couldn't help but marvel at how much Danielle looked like the woman in the photo. They both looked so blissfully happy.

Danielle took a shovel and started to break ground. It wasn't long before she was crying uncontrollably. Daryl put his hand on her shoulder and offered to take over for her. The girl fell to her knees and just stared as they buried her father's corpse. When they finished, Danielle asked to be alone. The group walked away and let her grieve but kept an eye on her. After a few minutes Danielle rose, brushed herself off and dried her eyes, rejoining the group at the car. "Are we ready to go?" Rick asked. She barely nodded. She was more than ready to leave.


	12. Chapter 11

When they arrived home, Danielle locked herself in her room for the rest of the day. She wouldn't speak to Jace or Jed or take any food. Jed finally felt the need to approach Daryl the next night. "Would you mind trying to get her out? She needs to eat something."

"What makes you think I can do anymore good for her than you can?" Daryl scoffed.

"She likes you." He answered, simply. After a moment of silence, he added, "She's not mad at you, if that's what you think. Sure, you killed her father, but he was already dead. He was trying to eat her. I think that gives you a free pass."

"You think that's why we ain't talkin'?"

"Well, yeah. What else could it be?"

"She's way out of my league, son. I mean, look at all of this. She owns a mansion. I've got nothing but the clothes on my back. That's it. I'm nobody. I ain't got nothin' to offer a girl like that."

"I think we all kind of are on the same level, right now. You seem like you're a really important member of your group. Protection and safety is everything at this point. You really need to talk to her." The kid walked off. Daryl pondered the idea that he was valuable. It was still a shock to him. He kept hearing it from members of the group. He knew they needed him and it was great to feel important for once after years of being told you were worthless and learning lessons from Merle about only looking out for yourself and how to screw people over. The suspense finally got to him. He had to know how Danielle felt about him; if she thought he was really worth something, and so he stalked up the stairs and knocked on her door. When she didn't answer, he picked the lock and let himself in. One of the many valuable lessons Merle had managed to teach him. He found her in the bathroom, neck deep in bubbles listening to Patsy Cline.

"Oh, it's you." She beamed.

Daryl blushed and looked at his feet. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you'd be…ya know, not dressed." He turned around.

"I'm sorry. It's not like it's anything you haven't seen before, right?" She sounded hurt, as if he wasn't interested in seeing her. She wondered if he thought the other night was a mistake.

"No, it's just…"

"You don't have to be embarrassed. Close the door. I'll get dressed." Daryl did as she asked and she came back into her bedroom in an oversized shirt and panties. "Better?" She asked, sitting beside him on the bed.

"Barely." He laughed.

"So, Jace and Jed send you up here to check on me?"

"The kid said we should talk."

"Oh, he did, huh? What did you wanna talk about?" They sat in silence for a few minutes, Danielle staring at Daryl, and Daryl staring at the floor. Finally, she got up, pulled a book from the shelf, and sat back down. She showed Daryl family photos, as they went from picture to picture, she told him stories behind the scenes like how her mom died in childbirth and how on her fifth birthday, her dad relapsed and didn't show up until 11 o'clock because he was passed out drunk in a bar, or how her best friend in most of her high school photos died in a wreck after graduation, or how her prom date threw up all over her dress before they even got to dance and she had to go home early.

Daryl felt the need to tell her something after she spilled her entire life story. He told her about Merle being in juvy and jail most of his life and how his dad was abusive and about how his mother died in a fire when he was real little, and finally about how his brother died trying to save him and his group and how he had to kill his reanimated corpse.

"I'm sorry." It was barely a whisper as she held his chin, making his eyes meet hers. "I never got the chance to thank you for saving me, ya know, the other night."

"We save each other. I've got your back, you've got mine."

"I'm glad." She smiled, then she blurted out, "Why did you leave so quickly the other morning?"

He stared at her, kind of stunned by her question. "I don't do sleepovers." He offered, not knowing what else to say, how else he could justify his actions.

"Intimacy is hard for you. I get that." She sighed. "Are you guys going to leave soon?"

"Not sure. Rick actually wanted to talk to you. They didn't wanna leave without thankin' you."

"That's sweet." She sighed, wishing he would open up more. They had shared so much the past few hours, she just wanted him to admit that it had meant something.

"Would you be open to negotiations?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Like lettin' us stay longer."

She smiled. She felt like maybe she was getting somewhere with Daryl after all. "You can stay as long as you want to. Honestly, I was hoping you wouldn't leave."

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to." He said, matter of factly. With that, he broke the distance between them, grabbing her face roughly and pulling her into a breath-taking kiss. He fell into her, smashing her tiny frame into the duvet cover beneath them. Not missing a beat, Danielle frantically tugged on the hem of Daryl's shirt, forgetting it was buttoned. She broke the kiss to stammer out, "You can't wear something a little easier to remove?" He scoffed at the thought and smashed her back into the bed. She began undoing the buttons on his plaid shirt with nimble fingers, sliding it down his arms and over his back when she was finished. He shook under the touch of her fingers grazing his rippling arm muscles and she pretended not to notice. She leaned up onto her arms, playfully shoving Daryl back so she could sit up, crossing her arms over her chest and pulling her shirt off and casting it aside. Daryl stared at her, awestruck for a moment. He shook his head, enamored at his good fortune. She was flawless. He grabbed her arms, pinning them above her head and holding her wrists down in that position as he began placing frantic kisses and nips at her mouth, jaw, and neck, slowly making his way to her chest. He wanted to savor the sweet taste of her skin, the softness of it. He palmed one of her breasts, flicking his thumb on her perky nipple and he began to suckle the other. She gasped at the sensations as he had her pinned beneath his taught body and the bed. She watched eagerly as he made his way down her stomach, making a trail of kisses down her body before stopping at her panty line. She tilted her hips up, grinding against his chin as he looked up at her with a devilish grin, taking in her scent. He slid his hands up her thighs, looping his thumbs under the flimsy material of the tiny panties she had on, skillfully pulling them off as she lifted up and pulled her legs back to assist. He pulled his arms through her bent knees and placed his hands firmly on her groin, pinning her hips down. Danielle wiggled a little, making herself comfortable and laced her fingers in his shaggy brown hair, encouraging him to begin. She was losing patience. He scoffed and without warning, dove in, flicking her sensitive clit with his forceful tongue. He made soft hums as he sucked and nibbled at her insides, massaging her with his tongue. She gasped at the sensations, trying hard to buck against his mouth, though she was pinned down by his strong, capable arms. He slowed down, pulling his arms free from her legs and reaching up to pinch her left nipple as he flicked his tongue across her clit and used the other hand to slowly insert two fingers inside of her welcoming opening. A soft moan was pulled from her chest as he quickened his pace, massaging her from the inside and out. The hand on her breast disappeared and she heard his belt buckled click and she knew it, he had jumped up, now on his feet. He kicked his pants off and grabbed her knees, pulling her up to the edge of the bed before hastily jamming himself inside of her, filling her completely. She screamed quietly, amazed by the enthusiasm he was showing. He only wanted to feel close to her; wanted to be a part of her. He loved how she made him feel like he could be a better person. He wanted to rewrite his destiny. He wanted to be a part of her world. If he couldn't tell her, he was gonna show her. Her moaning became incessant and stifled her pleasure with the nearest bed pillow, holding it over her mouth and muffling her noises as he brought her to sweet release, quickly joining her with his own exclamations of climax and collapsing onto her chest.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"I think our best option is to stay here as long as we can." Glenn argued. "We just dodged a bullet with the prison. This place is out in the woods, no one can even see it. We're surrounded by mountains. This fence is like a fortress. If we go to Washington, we don't even know if there is still a refugee camp there or if it's a rumor. Here, we know what we're dealing with."

"Let us not forget about the farm. We fooled ourselves into thinking it was safe. Look where that got us." Hershel mentioned.

"We know what we're getting into, now. I think where ever we go, there's a chance the walkers will take over. We're always gonna have to be looking over our shoulders." Maggie added, leaning into Glenn.

"We can guard this place. The fence alone is enough protection. I can't foresee anything taking it down. We can have look outs 24/7. I think we could make this work." Rick argued.

Danielle sat silently as they argued over her future over breakfast. Daryl sat silently beside her. The last thing he wanted to do was make her uncomfortable. Somehow he knew she wanted to stay here. As long as it was safe, he wanted to try and make it work.

They decided to stay. It was really their only viable option at this point. They spent the day rearranging things in the four bedrooms. They took the hospital equipment out of the spare room downstairs and moved it to the basement, freeing the room for Rick, Carl, and Judith. Hershel decided to take the couch downstairs so that Carol, Michonne, and Beth could share the guestroom upstairs. Jed and Jace would keep their room and the master bedroom, Danielle gave to the newly weds, Glenn and Maggie. They found it awkward to discuss were Daryl would stay. He offered to stay outside, arguing that it was where he felt most comfortable, but Danielle would have none of that. She insisted she felt safest when Daryl stayed with her. Daryl really had hoped she would say that, but he did not want to be presumptuous.

Rick was woken from his sleep by the unmistakable moans. He ran upstairs to get Daryl, knocking on the door gently. Danielle remained undisturbed as Jace had given her a sleeping aid. Daryl gently pulled his arm out from under the sleeping girl and answered Rick. "Everythin' alright?"

"Walkers, at the fence. 'Bout ten or so. I didn't wanna go out alone." Daryl followed Rick outside, Jace was already stabbing whichever biters made it to the fence.

"Woke ya'll up too?" he offered. It was the first friendly banter he had made since they arrived. Daryl and Rick gave him a hand, making short work of the task. "There's more an' more of 'em each time. We're less safe than we give ourselves credit. If you ask me, I think we'd be better off cutting our losses 'fore we trapped here." They silently considered his opinion.

"We all feel like it's best to stay. We're running out of options on where to go." Rick finally broke the silence.

Jace just nodded. "Rick, I'd like to talk to Daryl alone, if ya don' mind." Rick respectfully tipped his head and walked back inside. "I appreciate you lookin' after Dani. She's in a real fragile state."

"It's no trouble. Honestly, I don't think I could stop looking after her."

"Ya know, her daddy asked me to look after her on his death bed. 'Fore all this shit happened and the world ended. He warned me about her impulsive nature. Told me I'd have to warn whichever poor sap decided to take her on." He scoffed "Our own private joke, ya see. She's a hard-headed woman, but she's one of the most good natured people I have ever met. I don't exactly know you, but I think you're good for her." He finished, he held out his hand to Daryl, trying to clear the air between them.

"Thank you." Daryl accepted the handshake and the two walked back inside.


	14. Chapter 13

When Danielle woke up, Daryl wasn't there. The sun was up and she decided to go fix breakfast. When she got downstairs, Carol was already working on making a meal. "Good morning." Danielle poured herself some coffee.

"Morning. Hope you like grits." She joked. About all they had for breakfast anymore was either oatmeal or grits.

"I've warmed up to them." She sat down at the table. "Are all the men gone?"

"They wandered out in the woods. Some thing about making the parameter safe?"

"Oh."

"I'm really glad we found you. Not just because of all the stuff you've done, though we are all so very grateful, but I mean for Daryl. He was lost for a very long time. Everyone was worried for him. He really opens up around you. I've never seen him so happy."

Danielle didn't know what to say, she only smiled. Everyone joined them shortly after. It was mid afternoon before the men returned. Danielle cornered Jace and asked him what it was they were doing all morning. "Hoisting bodies into trees. Your boy's idea. Says the smell helps ward off more. Know we had another scare this morning? 'Bout ten walkers made it to the fence."

"I noticed. I was hoping I was just imagining that they wander out here more frequently."

"I think they just gettin' more and more desperate."

"Sorta like us?" She scoffed. She noticed Daryl outside on the patio, sitting and cleaning his crossbow meticulously.

"I talked to him this mornin'. Gave him my blessin'."

She playfully punched his arm. "You're blessing? What are we, 'courting'? You didn't scare him off, did you?"

"I was nice, missy. He's a good man. Maybe a little misguided, but nothing you can't handle."

"Thanks, Jace. I love you, too." She fixed two glasses of tea and joined Daryl outside. "Beautiful day." She exclaimed, offering Daryl a glass.

"View's nice from where I'm sittin'." He smiled, staring at her.

"When did you become so suave?"

"I have my moments."

"So, I heard you spoke to Jace this morning?"

"He ain't so tough."

"I'm glad you boys learned to play nice." She leaned back, soaking up the spring sun's rays.

"He thinks we should leave, too." He blurted out.

"And go where? Chasing an impossible dream? I don't think anywhere's safe anymore. I don't see why we would leave shelter, electricity, water, and supplies behind to go God knows where, hoping to find safety that doesn't exist." She watched him, still wiping down his weapons. "I don't think anyone's working on a cure for whatever this is. The world is lost. I'm scared my life is over."

"Look here. We're not giving up. Not that easily. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make sure you're safe because I… I care about you."

She reached over and squeezed his hand. She knew what he meant without him having to say the actual words. "I care about you, too." She stood up to go inside. "I'll be in the attic."

"What's in the attic?"

"Some of my old things. I think Mrs. Lynch saved all of my baby clothes. I thought I would bring some things down for Judith."

"Need any help? Ya know, heavy boxes?"

"I wouldn't wanna distract you from your weapons." She laughed.

"Believe me, you're a welcome distraction." He followed her up to the attic and they started going through boxes.

"You'd think Mrs. Lynch would have organized this a little better. Like maybe labeling the boxes?" She pulled out a box full of Christmas decorations. "This isn't it…" They spent a full hour in the attic before they even came close to the boxes possessing her childhood memories. "Jackpot!" she exclaimed as she found boxes of toys and baby clothes. It made Danielle teary-eyed to think that she would never have the chance to be a mother. She saw how hard it was for Rick. Daryl said his wife didn't make it through child birth and her own son had to put her down. She remembered how much it hurt her father that her own mother suffered almost the same fate. She hid her tears from Daryl and helped him cart the boxes down to Rick and Beth, who had assumed the mother-role, even though the girl was not much older than Jed.

"This stuff is great! Dad, look!" Carl pulled out outfits and things.

"I really appreciate all this stuff." Rick said. "We really need to make a run soon for some formula, though."

"We can try the general store, but I think our best bet is the strip mall in Chattanooga. They have a baby store. It's about 15 miles from here, but it's probably crawling with those things." Danielle mused.

"That sounds like a death trap." Daryl muttered.

"We'll have to make a run soon." Rick sighed.

"How 'bout the morning?" Daryl asked. "In and out 'fore noon."

"Sounds like a plan." Danielle stated.

"Oh, you're not going." Daryl stated plainly.

"Oh, we'll see about that."


	15. Chapter 14

"This is silly. I know how to get to Chattanooga without maps! If I went it would cut travel time in half!" Danielle argued. "I'm quick and I know where stuff is. I'd only be an asset."

"It's not safe. I could take Jace or Jed with me."

"It would be good for me to get out of the house. Plus, I'd be with you the whole time."

"Exactly, I'd be worried about you the whole time instead of worrying about getting in and out."

"You know I'm a big girl, right? I can manage myself. I've made it this long without you."

"That's true, but from now on you won't have to."

"If you go without me, I'd be worried the entire time. I just want to be helpful." She pouted. "Now come take a shower with me. We have a busy day in the morning." She teased. Danielle pressed herself against Daryl, slowly undoing his belt and his pants and then ripped off her own top. The rest of their clothes followed in a blur, creating a pile on the bedroom floor.

Danielle started the hot water, stepping in with Daryl close behind. Under the steamy water, Daryl pushed her against the tiles of the shower wall, his hands ravaging her body as his hips pressed her into the wall, pinning her there. His eyes bore daggers into hers as he tried to convey his feelings, wanting to keep her safe was a full time job and a top priority. Being short on words, Daryl settled for a heart-wrenching kiss. He put all of his being into that kiss. It made her knees weak, and if it weren't for Daryl holding her up, she was fairly certain she would have melted and dissolved right down the drain.

He grabbed her thigh, roughly and hoisted it over his hip, using her leg as leverage to glide into her. He never broke eye contact as they made love, in fact they barely moved. Daryl kept a hold on her leg and moved meticulously, taking time and patience with the task at hand. Danielle fell into the motions, wrapping her arms around his neck, supporting herself as he leaned one arm against the tile and pressed her back. She found herself afraid to speak. Daryl's stare was so intense with passion and need. His pace hastened and breath became hitched and they finally shuddered into each other.

They woke up the next morning before sunrise, wrapped in each others arms. "I could get used to this." He said in his sultry, sleepy voice, pressing his lips to her throat.

"You're probably gonna have to." She mocked, gracefully getting up, wrapping herself in the sheet and grabbing some clothes. She picked Daryl's up off the floor and threw them at him. "Get dressed. We have places to go today." He sighed. At some point during their argument last night he had relented and fallen under the spell that was Danielle. During their shower, he let her wash the scars along his back and hadn't flinched under her touch. It was a colossal step for him. He was feeling more and more everyday like Danielle was his family. His home.

They suited up and grabbed their weapons, meeting Jed and Rick at Danielle's SUV. They drove straight down the highway, they didn't run into many walkers. The drive itself didn't take long. Danielle took it upon herself to swerve into walkers on the road. "Did you actually get your license?" Jed joked.

"Does it matter?" she laughed. "I'll just clean the truck when we get back. One less walker to deal with, right?" They made it to the strip mall and were surprised with how quiet it was. They ran into maybe half a dozen walkers and took them out quietly. Danielle had backed the SUV up the door of the store. "In and out. Really quietly." She said as she grabbed her rifle and placed her knife in a holster on her hip. She really was a sight to behold.

They walked into the store and it seemed relatively untouched. It seemed as though people didn't rush to grab cribs and strollers once the apocalypse started. As they were plundering and finding goodies for baby Judith, Rick bumped into a rocking horse that instantly started playing music and making realistic horse noises.

"Shut that off!" Jed exclaimed, dropping everything and trying to shut the inanimate animal off. It was too late. The damage had been done. Walkers from the shopping complex started droning to the baby shops front door, being partially blocked by Danielle's vehicle.

"We've got company…" Danielle mumbled.

"Damn! We haven't even started on the formula and food!" Jed half-yelled. "They're swarming the car. There's no way we can get the supplies and get in the truck. Think we could pull off the diversion play from here?" He asked Danielle.

"There's a delivery truck in the parking lot. It's not far. I think I can get there."

"'Excuse me. What are you two talkin' about?" Daryl asked, Rick and Jace began to pick up the pace shoveling things into buggies more carelessly. Daryl was busy taking care of the biters that were slowly making it through the door.

"Diversion tactic. It's what we do in dire situations such as this. I'd create a diversion while the boys finished looting, then we meet up somewhere else." She explained, staring out the window, calculating her escape.

"You ain't goin' out there. Are you crazy, girl?" Daryl spat.

"I can and I will. I'll take the emergency exit around the side of the store, once I get to the front, I draw the biters out to the parking lot, climb up the truck, and wait for you guys. Pull up beside the truck, I'll slide in the window. Just make it quick. I can't waste all of my bullets."

"You ain't goin' out there alone. That's a suicide mission! I barely agreed to you coming and that's with me watching you!"

"She'll be fine. We've done it 'bout a million times." Jed added. "It's the only way both us and the stuff makes it out."

Danielle grabbed Jed's shotgun and strapped her own rifle to her back. "Make it quick!" she hollered and ran out the emergency exit. From inside the store, the men heard hollering. It wasn't two minutes before they saw Danielle running through the parking lot, weaving between walkers, whistling and screaming for the walkers to "come and get it." She fired the shotgun and took out four walkers before she jumped onto the front passenger side tire of the delivery truck and hoisted herself first onto the hood of the truck, and then onto the top, the biters grasping her ankles the whole time. Then she started randomly shooting the biters and hollering. It wasn't long before the parking lot was full and Danielle was surrounded. She could see that only a dozen or so had decided to stay at the store and Daryl easily killed them all and was watching on her from the driver's seat in her truck. The walkers were shaking the truck and a few had figured out how to climb up the hood. She pulled her rifle over her shoulder and started shooting them, slowly clearing one side of the truck. Jed and Rick were jumping into the car and Daryl shot off, barely grazing the side of the delivery truck, taking out all the walkers and leaving barely enough room for Danielle to slide into the rear driver's side window. They drove off, the walkers being left in their dust.


	16. Chapter 15

They made it back home before noon. Everyone was still on edge from the morning's events. Rick and Jed started pulling everything from the truck and taking them inside. Daryl and Danielle sat in silence for a moment before Daryl slide from the vehicle, taking the keys, and marching over to the gate. He began testing the keys, not knowing which one fit the lock, as Danielle came up behind him.

"You're mad with me." She said, more of a statement really than a question.

"Damn right I'm mad."

"I did the right thing, Daryl. That little girl needs to eat just as much as we do and you know if I didn't do what I did, we would have had to make a sacrifice." Just then, Daryl got the gate open and marched out into the woods. Danielle caught the gate and followed him out. "Could you at least say something? Yell at me, scream, anything is better than this silence."

"I ain't got nothin' to say." He muttered, walking more briskly. They passed a few of the zombie corpses that the men had hung from the trees. Daryl's idea seemed to be working. They hadn't seen walkers the night before.

"If you want to hate me, go ahead. But believe me, I'll sleep well tonight knowing I did the right thing."

"I don't hate you." He whispered, stopping in his tracks. "I can't hate you."

Danielle grabbed his shoulder and spun him to face her. "Look at me. I'm safe. You don't have to worry."

"I just wanna keep it that way. I felt… helpless. Anything coulda happened to ya. I'm not used to this." The rage and passion behind his eyes was replaced with pure fear. Daryl really couldn't imagine having to deal with losing Danielle. They both had lost so much already.

Danielle just wrapped her arms around Daryl. "I'll try to be less reckless so you maybe don't have a heart attack." She chuckled. "Imagine, bad-ass Daryl Dixon is actually afraid."

"I got a lot to lose." He mumbled, breaking the distance between them and pressing his lips to hers with urgency. Lost in the moment, they almost didn't notice a walker, attracted by their fighting, walking right up to them. Daryl jabbed it in the eye over Danielle's shoulder, twisting the knife in. He yanked it out, spraying brain matter over their chests before the body hit the ground. Danielle didn't want to let the moment's passion go to waste. She grabbed Daryl's belt loops and backed up against a tree, pressing him against her. She frantically pressed her lips to his while undoing his pants. He slid hers to the ground, grabbing her legs and hoisting her up around his waist, he easily thrust himself into her, the bark from the tree digging into her back. He was pounding into her, each thrust more eager and desperate than the last, her nails, like daggers, clawing into his broad shoulders. His rippling biceps taught from straining to hold her up while he kept up his relentless motions until she collapsed against his chest, both of them straining to catch their breath.

On their way back to the house, they found a rabbit den and Daryl managed to kill a healthy-sized jack rabbit. Pleased with their kill, they found their way to the gate. That night they roasted rabbit outside over a fire. They had a good night, sipping whiskey and laughing over stories.

Before they knew it, only couples were left sitting in the glow of the burning embers; Maggie and Glenn, Danielle and Daryl, and Beth and Jed. The latter had admitted they were sweet on each other but were not officially together. The young people shared dating horror stories, high school nightmares, and playing drinking games. They fell asleep under the stars and woke up to the sound of yelling. Someone was screaming for help.

Daryl jumped up first, his instincts sharp from his years of hunting and tracking. His swift movements woke Danielle. The two ran through the yard, towards the sounds. The noise was coming from the front gate, people were on the other side, running down the highway and shooting at a small herd of walkers, maybe 20 or 30. The two stood in the shadows, watching the scene play out. The people - three men, two women, and a young girl - were frantic. They didn't make it two feet without turning and opening fire on the geeks, barely making a dent in the relentless attack. Before their eyes, one of the men fell and and was pounced upon. The girl started screaming "Daddy!" and one of the women scooped her up, the two hysterically crying.

The others had risen from their resting places in the yard and followed Daryl and Danielle, coming upon the scene before them.

"Should we do something?" Danielle whispered, tears welling up in her green eyes.

"Ain't nothing we can do. They find out we're here, they'll ask for help. We can't support no more people." Daryl sighed.

"He's right. We can't take in five strangers. It's none of our business." Glenn added.

"They aren't begging for food or shelter, they just don't want to be eaten.." Danielle said.

"Saving them is only the beginning. It's best nobody knows we're here." Jed said, turning around and walking off. The rest of the group followed until only Danielle and Daryl were left. Daryl putting a firm hand on her shoulder and gently squeezed it. "S'all right. Let's just go inside."

"Just wait." She whispered, barely breathing. She stood there until the group made it over the hill, just barely ahead of the walkers and their torment.

"That ain't gonna be us." Daryl leaned over and kissed her forehead gently. "I promise you that."

_It very easily could have been. _She kept the thought to herself.


	17. Chapter 16

"We need to be more prepared if we're going to make a move." Rick argued. "I think we should scout ahead. See how clear the roads are and if we can find anything near by."

"And waste more gas? I don't see why we wouldn't just all go together." Carol protested.

"We shouldn't just leave." Carl said. His age did not affect his sensibility in the matters at hand. He was cold hearted and impartial in his decision making.

"I still don't see why we have to leave now. The fences are secure, there are plenty of supplies in the warehouse. There's no way to clear it out and carry everything with us. We're setting ourselves up for disaster if we go." Jed mentioned.

"He has a point." Danielle sighed. "There's no immediate threat. I think it's better if we keep the cars stocked with supplies incase we have to run, not run for no reason."

"Those things are travelin' farther out this way. Soon we won't have anything to hunt, they'll close us in." Jace said.

"We all know they're everywhere. It's not like we will ever find a place to escape. We're always gonna be fighting." Beth actually spoke up. "I say we stay."

"We aren't talking about leaving. We're just talking about finding a back up plan. Someplace within a few miles where we can go just in case we have to make a run for it." Rick directed. "Daryl, will you go looking with me in the morning?"

"Sure." Danielle glared at Daryl, the words easily slipping out of his mouth without any consideration.

"I'll go too." Jace volunteered, looking to Danielle.

"It's settled then. We'll leave first thing in the morning to find a safe house for emergencies." Rick's final words signaled to the group that it was okay to disperse.

Danielle stormed off to the warehouse to take inventory of the supplies. Daryl wasn't far behind her. Inside the building, Daryl reached out and grasped her wrist and spun her to face him. "Hey. What's wrong?"

"I think this is stupid. I don't want you to go."

"Rick asked. We won't be gone long."

"That's not the point. He's putting your lives in danger for no reason."

"There's plenty of reasons. We got something to protect." He grasped her chin and tilted her head up to look him in the eye, kissing her gently on the lips. She wrapped her arms around his waist. "I don't want you to leave." She sighed into his chest.

"I ain't leavin'. Not for long, anyway."

The next morning, Rick, Jace and Daryl packed up some supplies and took the truck out, in search for a new hideout. "Don't you worry. I'm comin' back." Daryl had said before he let go of Danielle's hand.

By late evening, the men had not returned. "They took a few days supplies. They might be gone a while." Carol had said at dinner.

Danielle couldn't sleep. She sat out on the porch, enjoying the cool night air and looking for signs of headlights at the gate. She knew Jed was probably awake in the attic doing the same thing.

It was late when she heard the baby crying. She came inside to tend to Judith. Carl was holding his little sister trying to quiet her. "I'll start a bottle." She whispered, heading to the kitchen.

Danielle took the baby in her arms and immediately noticed she was warm. The babe wouldn't eat, either. Another bad sign. "Go get me a thermometer." She whispered. Hershel stirred on the couch. "Is everything all right?"

"I think Judith is running a fever. She's fussy." Danielle took her temperature. "101°" she exclaimed, lying the baby back down in her crib. She went to the closet and started rummaging through medicine. "Shit, no baby Tylenol."

"What do we do?" Carl shouted.

Danielle filled a dropper with Nyquil and gave it to the baby. "This should help her sleep through the night. In the morning we'll get her some proper medicine. Just go to sleep, sweet heart. I'll keep an eye on her." Carl wouldn't budge. They both fell asleep waiting for morning.


	18. Chapter 17

**Please don't kill me for this one. I promise, I went through enough trying to talk myself out of writing this chapter, I just didn't see the story working without it. **

"The pharmacy isn't much farther." Danielle sighed.

She and Jed went out to find medicine for Judith that morning. Driving seemed so much longer when you didn't share the road with anyone. Everything was abandoned and broken down and it seemed so solemn on the streets these days.

They reached the local Walgreen's and the two went inside, killing two walkers upon entering. Danielle raided the shelves and found a few bottles of baby Tylenol, baby aspirin, and various other goodies that were still untouched.

They were almost out of the door when they heard a motor running. They peered through one of the store-front windows and saw an artillery truck passing the store. They ducked down, caught off guard by the obvious notion that other people were alive and in the area. "Think they saw us?" Jed questioned.

"I don't think so. We better get going." She peeked up over the window sill before making a run for the car.

They were half-way home before they saw the artillery truck parked off the road. "Shit!" Danielle exclaimed. She decided to take the long way home, using a few back roads with extra turns just in case. She didn't want to take any chances.

Once safely at home, she started medicating Judith. They poor baby was burning up and was inconsolable. The Tylenol seemed to be working within the first few hours, Judith's temperature seemed to be dropping and she began to eat more.

Danielle was just about to start supper when she heard a loud crash and incredibly loud screeching, as if metal were grinding on metal. She ran outside and from the porch she could see the artillery vehicle from earlier barreling through her yard coming towards the house.

Jed ran down from his hiding place in the attic. "They crashed through the fence! What the fuck do we do?"

"Get the others!" she exclaimed. She ran back inside and grabbed her rifle from the rack by the door and a few bags they kept on a shelf underneath it. They were the emergency bags she kept close just incase they had to flee quickly. Only half a dozen or so men got out of the truck, but she wasn't sure what was going to happen. "Jed!" She hollered. The boy showed himself and she threw the keys to her Yukon to him. "Get Beth, Carl, and the baby and get out of here!"

"Where do we go?"

"You remember what we talked about. Just go. I'll come and get you when the coast is clear."

He only nodded in agreement, knowing very well that arguing at a time like this was a bad idea.

The sound of broken glass echoed through the house as Jed grabbed the bags and snuck the children through the back door into the safety of the SUV and sped off without question.

Danielle was readying her rifle when she felt a hand come from behind her and cover her mouth. "Well, well, well. What have we here?" the grimy voice said behind her. Danielle stomped on her captor's instep and kicked back into his groin, dropping him to his knees. She dropped her rifle in the struggle but grasped a pair of scissors on the counter and brought the blade through the man's temple without a second thought. As she turned to grab her rifle from the floor, a foot stomped on her hand and something hard struck her head. Then everything went black.

Danielle woke up in a dark room she couldn't recognize with her head in Carol's lap. She jumped up. "Where are we?" she exclaimed.

"I'm not sure."

"What happened?"

"I'm not sure about that either. I got hit and the next thing I know, I woke up here."

It was hours before the door opened and a beam of light was let in, stinging their sensitive eyes. "Come on, Darlin'. Haven't got all day." The man grasped Danielle's wrist and drug her down the hall to another room and thrust her against the table as she screamed for help. "I hope you don't mind. It's been a long time since we've seen women. Pretty little thing like you around, it's hard to stay under control." He breathed against her neck as the words lingered in her mind.

"What do you want?"

"Oh, honey, we already got it. Like I said, we've been really lonely." He bound her wrists and shut her mouth using duct tape. She fought the whole time, trying to wriggle free but the more she fought, the tighter he held her hips down, pinned between his groin and the table. He somehow managed to get her pants around her knees and forced himself into her, holding her hands above her head as she cried into the table. She was almost convinced her troubles were over when a second man walked into the room, watching the first man finish his conquest. "Save some for me, Johnny!" he mocked as the first man thrust into her a few more times before backing away and fixing himself. "S'all yours."

The second man pulled her up by her hair and threw her up against a wall. She fell down with her pants still being around her ankles. "Ya know, I oughta kill you for what you did to Sam. You killed one of my men. Men's getting harder and harder to come by these days. But ya know, good women is just near as scarce. Be a shame to let such a hot piece of ass go to waste."

He knelt down to her level, ripping her jeans off the rest of the way and ripping her shirt off of her chest. He caressed her skin and admired her beauty, taking his time with loving her. He was being gentle and tender and the sheer audacity of the situation was making her sick. He kneeled down closer and began planting kisses on her bare breasts and running his hands over her stomach and thighs. He reached between her legs, forcing them open for him to enter her. She screamed out in pain as he murmured how tight she was, thrusting and moaning, lost in his own pleasure. He held her hands over her head in one hand and held down her hips with the other.

When the man had finished having his way with her, he threw her back in the room with Carol and threw a blanket at her to cover her nakedness. Carol removed the restraints from her wrists and mouth and the girl only screamed and cried the rest of the night.


	19. Chapter 18

**I decided to post the next two chapters early to help everyone get over the last chapter. Hope this helps!**

Rick, Daryl, and Jace had had no luck looking for a second hide out. Nothing in the vicinity was near as safe and secure as the Cunningham house. With heavy hearts, the three returned back to discover the gate lying on the grass, bent and misshapen. Walkers had made it to the lawn and were moaning and wandering the grounds freely. They entered the house to discover everyone was missing, save for Hershel, who was passed out on the couch. The house had been ransacked. Many of their precious supplies missing or strewn about the floors.

They managed to revive Hershel just as Michonne entered the house. She explained how she got out in the commotion and hid in the woods. "They were taken." She offered. "The children made it out, but everyone else is gone. 7 men in an army truck took them. They headed west. Said something about a storage facility."

The men were in panic mode as they left the house with Michonne to try and locate the children. Jace led them down the road to a local church where they found Danielle's Yukon tucked in the woods with Jed, Beth, Carl, and Judith all safely inside.

"Thank God!" Rick exclaimed, embracing his children.

"Where is everyone?" Jed asked his dad, mid-hug.

"We juss don't know, son."

"Maggie?" Beth asked her father.

"Don't worry. We'll find them." Rick offered.

"We shouldn't have left." Daryl sighed. He couldn't stop thinking about what Danielle had said before they left. This was all their fault. He had to find her.

It was decided that Hershel and Rick would take the kids back to the house while Jace, Jed, Daryl, and Michonne went to find the others. They headed west, using Michonne's information and Daryl's tracking skills to find their family.

In the warehouse, Danielle and Carol were starving. They weren't sure how long they had been in the dark room, but they hadn't been fed the entire time. The men came a few more times, alternating which woman they took each time. Danielle had suffered a black eye and was bruised most places on her body. She fought back once and one of the guys burned her with a cigarette on her collar bone. Eventually, they gave her a shirt to wear when they got tired of seeing the bruises.

Carol had bit one of the men and after that they left her alone. Unfortunately, the opposite could be said about Danielle. It seemed as though the more she fought back, the more they wanted to try and break her spirits.

"He'll come. You'll see. If there's one thing I have faith in anymore, it's Daryl Dixon." Carol murmured. Danielle scoffed at the idea that anything good could happen anymore.

The building blended in with the rest of the town. You wouldn't know what it was from outside, but the artillery truck parked nearby was unmistakable. The camouflaged paint was scratched from it's recent run in with the black iron gate it had run into. The group peered through the window and saw three of the men sitting down, playing cards.

They circled the building, looking for the best way in.

"We're gonna split up." Daryl instructed. "Michonne and I are gonna take out the guys upfront, Jace, you and Jed are going through the back entrance. Keep your eyes open." They all nodded in agreement and went their separate ways.

Michonne and Daryl busted through the front door. Daryl gunned down the four men with ease and they made their way through the building. Somewhere in the middle, they met up with Jace and Jed. They were accompanied by Glenn and a disheveled looking Maggie. The girl wouldn't even look up and she just shook as Glenn tried to hold her up. "We took out two guys." Jace told Daryl. "We found these two in a closet down the hall."

"Have you seen the others?" Michonne asked. Glenn shook his head. "We haven't seen anything."

Without any options left, they began busting down doors, looking for Carol and Danielle. Daryl was getting frustrated and nervous, his impulsive nature taking over all emotions. "Listen!" Jed snapped. Everyone stood perfectly still, silent. Faintly down the hall you could hear banging. Someone was screaming "Here! Help! We're over here!"

"Carol" Daryl broke into a sprint, making it to the door way. "Back up! I'm busting it down!" He screamed and put all his force into his shoulder, barreling into the door, taking it down with him.

"Oh, thank God! I knew you'd come for us!" Carol exclaimed. Daryl looked through the darkness, finding Danielle curled up in a corner. "They've been drugging her, I think."

Daryl knelt down and brushed the hair from her face. She flinched at his touch, panicking for a moment, almost forgetting who he was. He saw the bruises, the lifelessness in her eyes. She was broken. He was too late.


	20. Chapter 19

The building was deemed clear by Jace and Jed and they started taking whatever they could get their hands on and packing it in the truck.

Daryl and Danielle hadn't budged from the hidden room in the hallway. Danielle wouldn't budge and she wouldn't let Daryl touch her. He wanted to pick her up, hold her close, and carry her to safety. He wanted to be there for her like he wasn't before.

"We can go now." Carol said from the doorway.

"Sh'ain't budgin'." Daryl sighed.

Carol came over and whispered something to the girl, wrapping her in a blanket and coaxing her up. She had trouble standing and had to lean against Carol, walking all the way to the car. Daryl stayed behind them, not quite sure what he was supposed to do.

When they arrived back at the house, Carol bathed Danielle and dressed her wounds while the men tried to prop up the gate and secure the parameter again.

"How is she?" Daryl asked Carol, running his hand through his hair and rubbing his neck.

"She just needs time. We went through a traumatic experience. Maybe you should go to her."

"And do what? She wont speak to me or let me near her!"

"I know if it was me, I wouldn't want to be alone."

"Are you, ya know, okay?"

"You mean did they rape me? No, Daryl. Danielle and Maggie weren't as lucky. The sick bastards that abducted us took advantage of those poor girls."

"I'm sorry I didn't get to torture them. I didn't know…"

"And if you did? Don't beat yourself up over this. It's no one's fault. We just have to pick up and move on. Here, take this to her." She handed him a tray of food and a glass of water. "Talk to her."

He found Danielle in bed. Her freshly washed skin was discolored and dehydrated.

"Can I come in?" he asked from the doorway. "I brought you somethin' to eat." She merely nodded and sat up. She couldn't deny she was starving. It had been three torturous days of no food, little water, and countless other unmentionable travesties. Daryl closed the door behind him and sat the food down on her lap.

"You can sit." She barely whispered before beginning her meal.

They sat in silence while she ate.

"I'm sorry." Daryl blurted out as she put her plate down.

"I know you are. I don't blame you, if that's what you're thinking. Not everything is about you."

"I'm not tryin' to make this about me, Danielle. I know I should have been here, an' I wasn't. You were right, I shouldn't have left."

"Shoulda, coulda, woulda." She muttered, turning away from him.

"I wanna make it better."

"There's nothing anyone can do. I just have to live with it."

"So do I."

"I think maybe you should leave."

"Alright, I'll come back later. You should rest." He sighed, getting off the bed, heading towards the door.

"No, I don't mean for now, I mean for good. You and Rick and everyone. Maybe you should just leave."

"Don't say that." He begged, stopping in his place. He turned to look at her. She was just silently crying. "You know I can't do that."

"Daryl, I –"

"I love you." He came closer, wiping away her tears with his thumb, barely grazing the bruises on her cheek. She winced, partially from the touch, but mostly from the words. She had an idea that that was where this misguided relationship had been heading, but she didn't want to make an assumption. Daryl Dixon didn't seem like the kind of man to just throw around words like "love" or "commitment." He always seemed like a broken man, healing slowly. Now she was the broken one, and he wanted to return the favor.

"Don't say that." She breathed.

"I mean it." He reached into his pocket, clasping something in his hand. "I got you something. We made it to Cleveland. I saw this in a shop window. It made me think of you." He held his hand out to her and she only stared at him, still shell-shocked. "Take it." He urged. She opened her palm to him. Cold metal hit her hand and she stared at the small trinket.

It was a simple necklace, white gold. The chain was thin, delicate. There was a heart charm on the chain, intricately lined with small diamonds with a cursive letter "D" in the center. "It's lovely." She whispered as she began to sob. He put his arms around her, not knowing what else to do but suffocate the tears with his strong chest. "I love you, too." She mumbled, the words barely audible. It was just loud enough for Daryl to hear, even though he already knew.


	21. Chapter 20

The guys had managed to get the gate propped up and it held the first few days, but they knew it was a temporary fix.

The group had finished supper and Daryl was on the veranda, cleaning his weapons per his nightly routine.

"We can't stay here much longer." Danielle stated from behind him.

"It's nice to see ye up and about."

"I was tired of seeing the same four walls." She sighed, sitting beside him. She hadn't bothered to get dressed, but her making the effort to come down the stairs was huge progress. She spent the past few days in her room, only allowing Daryl and Jace in occasionally to check up on her. She looked better. Her bruises were turning a green-yellow and the burn marks and scratches were scabbing and healing nicely.

The two sat in silence, watching the sunset, then watched the night sky.

"Have you guys seen Maggie?" Glenn asked, rushing out the door. He seemed panicked.

"Not since dinner." Daryl answered.

"She's not in the house!" Glenn yelled. He ran through the yard and eventually ended up outside of the gate and combing the woods.

"She hasn't been good." Daryl answered Danielle's silent question.

"I can understand that." Danielle sighed.

"HELP! SOMEONE HELP!" Glenn screamed from the woods. Daryl was up like a shot and sprinting towards Glenn's mournful cries. Danielle followed suit and the two came upon Glenn, holding Maggie's limp body up as she dangled from a tree. She had hung herself.

"Hold her still!" Daryl shouted. He pulled out his pocketknife and cut the rope, slicing the girl from the tree's limb. "Catch her!" he yelled as the body landed with a thump on top of Glenn. "Maggie, Maggie, Maggie. Please be okay! C'mon, wake up! Please! She's… She's not…"

"Move over!" Danielle cried. She slumped on the ground besides her lifeless friend and began to perform CPR. The life-saving resuscitation paid off and Maggie sprung to life, gasping for air.

"She's alive! She's alive! She's alive!" Glenn shouted through his tears, wrapping his arms around his wife.

"I'm sorry" Maggie cried.

"We'll, uhm… Leave you two alone." Danielle interjected, Daryl helped her up and they walked back to the house. "I can't believe she could do that."

"It's hard to believe anyone can do anything horrible until they do."

"It's a good thing we caught her in time. If she was up there too long she would have asphyxiated herself and been brain dead."

"Are you okay?" Daryl asked, stopping in his tracks.

"You mean am I gonna try to off myself?" Daryl just looked down at his feet. "No, I don't think I can. Terrible things happen all the time. I'm not playing the victim anymore. It's time to move on."

"You wanna leave?"

"I think it's time we see about this refugee camp in Washington." She stated coldly, walking past Daryl and back to the house.

**I was actually really excited to write this chapter just because it gives reason to one of the most confusing parts to me in the graphic novels; Maggie's suicide attempt. **


	22. Chapter 21

Danielle enjoyed her last shower for what would probably be quite some time. They packed up as much as they could fit into four cars and spent a few days siphoning gas for the occasion.

Carl pitched a fit as soon as he found out about their leaving, saying it was stupid to leave, the gate could be fixed and they had power, water, and supplies. If anyone else felt the same way, they kept it to themselves.

The group drove until dark, stopping on the side of a road to rest after the hours of driving. They slept in the vehicles as a precaution. As the apocalypse marched on, times were getting more and more desperate for all parties.

The next day they realized they needed gas badly. They decided to set out early the next morning to find some. Gas, like food, was becoming more and more scarce.

They sat to heat a few cans of beans over a small fire, a meager meal to hold them over for the time being.

"From what I gather, we're in North Carolina." Jace stated, looking at the map they had taken. "If we pace ourselves, it shouldn't be but a few more days." Everyone just absorbed the information.

Danielle and Daryl had been sleeping in the backseat of her SUV. It folded out, which was nice, but it still wasn't the comfort of an actual bed.

"Do you think this is still a good idea?" Daryl asked. They hadn't talked much in the past few days. Daryl had insisted on driving the motorcycle and leading the way, so their time was cut short, only being able to talk when they had time to rest.

"Jace and I were talking today in the car. We know Nashville was taken, Atlanta too. Now we're driving right into the states capital. The biggest city of them all. Why do we expect it to be any different?"

"Know what you mean. Rick seems to think different. Ain't got no reason not to believe him." She sighed, knowing it was too late to turn back now. They made their choice. She leaned forward and kissed him gently. "You gonna be able to sleep?" he asked.

"I'm exhausted."

"Probably from all the nightmares."

"Sorry about that."

"You know nothin's gonna hurt you."

"You can't promise that."

"I'd die first." Danielle snuggled into Daryl's chest and together they fell asleep.

The next day, the group drove further into town to find gas.

"Ya hear that?" Daryl whispered to Danielle as they passed the local post office.

"The shuffle, you mean?" He nodded, crossbow ready, and opened the door.

"Oh my God." Danielle breathed.

They had stumbled on a minister.

"Put it down, Daryl. He's a man of God." Danielle scolded.

"Don't mean nothing."

"My name is Father Gabriel Stokes. Believe me, I mean you no harm."

"Come out, hands up where I can see 'em." Daryl instructed. He pointed his crossbow to the back of his head and led the Father straight to Rick. "Look'it what we found." Daryl gloated, he kicked the Father's knee cap, causing him to fall forward, bowing to Rick.

"Please, I mean you no harm. I'm only out looking for food."

"Are you alone?" Rick asked.

"Yes, I have been since it started."

"You've been alone all this time?" Glenn asked.

"Impossible." Daryl barked.

"It's true. My church is only a few miles from here. You're all welcome to stay with me if you need to rest your feet."

Rick called Daryl and Hershel over to talk away from everyone.

"I don't like it." Daryl said. "Somethin' ain't right. How has he survived this long alone in a church?"

"Maybe God was with him?" Hershel offered.

"I think it would be nice to rest for a night without having to sleep in cars and keep watch. I don't see why a minister would lie." Rick reasoned.

It was decided that the group would stay the night in the church and share their food with Gabriel until they could find enough gas to make it another day's drive.


	23. Chapter 22

"This is just a crock o' shit." Daryl muttered under his breath. The sun had set and everyone was settling down for the night.

"You don't wanna come inside? I saved you a pew." Danielle laughed.

"I ain't goin' in there."

"You're gonna stay in the car?" he nodded, letting his crossbow fall from his shoulder into his capable hands. "Want some company?"

"I wouldn't say no."

"You don't trust the good Father, huh?" she asked, trying more to make conversation. She already knew the answer.

"Shit no. He lived by himself for all these months in a church, all alone?"

"He says he locked the doors, turned his back on all of his followers. He's remorseful."

"Had a lot o' time to think."

"I've missed you." She sighed, tipping down the edge of his crossbow and stepping closer, minimizing the gap between them. "We don't get a lot of time alone."

"Miss me, huh?" Daryl got this mischievous look in his eye. He lifted his crossbow up with one hand and grabbed Danielle's back with the other with one easy motion, pulling her into him and kissing her effortlessly. Not missing a beat, Danielle pushed him into the SUV behind him, pressing her entire body into the kiss. "The door." She mumbled between breathless kisses. Daryl reached behind him, grasping the door's handle and moving the kiss to open it. Seconds later, Danielle pushed him back on to the reclined back seat in the roomy vehicle. She lifted herself off of him with the strength in her arms. "You gonna hold onto that the whole time?" she motioned toward his trusty crossbow. He just put it down beside the seat and she sat up on his hips, pulling her shirt off in one swift motion.

"You okay?" he asked, brushing his thumbs over the fading bruises and scars all over her chest and torso. She merely put her finger over his lips, leaning down and silencing him with a kiss. He easily flipped her over so he was on top and broke the kiss to reach over his shoulders to pull off his own shirt. The kissing progressed and Daryl reached down, beginning to undo Danielle's jeans. He had the button popped, but when he reached for her zipper, she stopped him. "Too soon?" he asked.

She leaned her forehead into his shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"S'all right." He sighed, rolling off of her and leaning up his shoulders. Everything was still, silent for a few minutes. All of a sudden, there was a thud on the side of the truck and in one quick motion, Daryl had his hand on his crossbow and was sitting up. "Who's out there?" he hollered. When no one replied, he told Danielle to stay put and he walked the parameter.

"Didn't see anyone. I found tracks out by the graveyard, but I don't think we should follow 'em at night."

"Wanna go inside now?" He could tell she was spooked, so he obliged, grabbing their sleeping bags.

"Lead the way." He nodded.

She grabbed her shirt and covered herself up, jumping from the car and walking towards the church. "You think they were watching us… you know?"

"Not havin' sex? Probably was quite the show before we stopped." She sensed his resentment and tensed.

"I apologized. I just need more time."

"I didn't mean anythin' by it." Muttered Daryl, instantly regretting what he said. He leaned forward, kissing her forehead.

They entered the church, the fellowship hall dark, but no one seemed to be asleep.

"Decide to join the party?" Glenn mocked.

"Naw, someone was spying on us. Found tracks going around the building and our cars. I don't think we're alone." Daryl informed the group. Instantly everyone looked to Father Gabriel.

"You set us up?" Michonne snapped.

"No, I swear! I don't know anything!"

"And we're just supposed to believe you?" Carl stepped in.

"Stop! There's nothing we can do about it now! We were already gonna leave tomorrow! What's a few more hours?" Beth piped in. It was rare for the girl to speak up. Everyone seemed to contemplate her words carefully.

"I'll take first watch." Daryl stated. He looked to Danielle, expecting her to argue, but she only looked away. She was upset at how he reacted to her objections earlier and knew his obligation to Rick, to the group. He liked keeping them safe; keeping her safe.


	24. Chapter 23

A single shot. That's all. In the middle of the night, the group jumped up from their sleep, frantic. Danielle hadn't been able to sleep. She suspected most of the group lay awake that night in their respective pews.

The first thought Danielle had was of Daryl. The single shot made her fear the worst. Daryl wouldn't have risked it for one walker. Someone else was outside, shooting at them.

"Everyone stay put!" Rick instructed. "I'll go check on Daryl." Ricked grabbed his gun and snuck out the door. A few minutes passed and Rick came back in. "You guys may wanna come out and see this."

The group made their way out the door. They stopped at the steps of the church, eyes all set on Daryl.

Danielle breathed a sigh of relief seeing that he was alright. That feeling was short lived when she saw what he was holding. "Is that a-"

"A foot. Someone's foot." Rick butted in.

"They came outta no where; drove by, threw this out and shot up in the air, then took off. Couldn't get a good look at 'em." Daryl came closer, "That's not all. Look at the top of the foot."

"I really would rather not." Beth said. "I'm gonna check on Maggie." She sighed before walking back inside.

"It's scalded. Like he was on fire. And see this here, how the top isn't blunt. It was severed at the ankle with a knife, right at the joint. And then someone gnawed on it. These are teeth marks. Human teeth marks." Daryl instructed.

"You're saying someone cooked the foot and ate it?" Hershel asked.

"That's what it looks like." Rick said.

Just then, coming from the woods, was another gunshot. Daryl dropped the foot and covered Danielle on the church house steps, pushing her to the ground before she knew what had happened and had his pistol pointed towards the woods. Rick pulled his gun out and yelled for everyone to go inside, but you could barely hear it over Glenn's screams.

Glenn was clutching his leg, moaning in pain. Blood was all around him. "Help me get him inside!" Danielle yelled. Michonne and Daryl lifted Glenn carefully and pulled them inside while Danielle cleared a table on the alter and ran to get her bag. They placed Glenn on the table and Daryl pulled out his knife and ripped the leg off of Glenn's pants. Maggie began screaming and ran to his side, holding his hand. Danielle returned with her supplies and began inspecting the wound. "He's fortunate. It went clean through, but it's gonna need stitches. I'm gonna have to do it without pain medication. It nicked an artery."

"Do what you have to do!" Glenn screamed.

Danielle threaded the needle and nodded at Daryl and Michonne. "Hold him still." She instructed as she cleaned the area around the wound. They did as they were told and she started to stitch his wound through the screams and writhing.

"We need to keep it propped up to help stop the bleeding." Danielle instructed as she finished. At some point Glenn had passed out and Maggie was still hysterical.

"Do you think they're still out there? Waiting us out?" Michonne asked.

"Naw, if they wanted to, they coulda killed us. They wanted to scare us." Daryl suggested.

"Well, they succeeded." Danielle scoffed.

"We never should have left Tennessee. This was the worst plan you've ever had." Carl smart-mouthed his father.

"Watch your tone, young man." Hershel scolded. "He's still your father."

"The sun's gonna rise in a few hours. We could track them down, get to them first." Danielle thought.

"She's right, Rick. We could get the upper hand." Daryl said.

"We can't move Glenn until the bleeding stops. We're stuck here like sitting ducks." Danielle added.

"Let's head out." Rick sighed, still staring out the window.


	25. Chapter 24

"They were definitely here." Daryl whispered. "Went this way." He led the way, followed by Rick, Danielle, and Michonne. They also took Gabriel. He knew the area and could only be an asset.

They hadn't trekked far, maybe two or three miles into the woods when they came upon a clearing and heard voices. They got closer and could see the owners to the voices. Five men and one woman, all gathered around a picnic table.

"Man, I'm starving. I say we go get one of them tonight. I could wait them out. Someone's gotta use the john sooner or later."

"They'll run out of food sooner or later. We just have to keep them scared. They'll get sloppy sooner or later. They always do." One man said.

"They're all probably shitting themselves right now." Laughed another.

Suddenly, Rick came out of the cover of the trees. "Not exactly." He exclaimed.

Daryl motioned for everyone to stay back, hidden and on guard.

"What the hell?" One yelled.

"He's one of them! I've seen him before!"

"Any of them missing parts? I'm sick of eating leftovers."

"I gathered that." This man seemed to be the leader. "Not so fast, Greg. I think this man came to talk." He directed his attention back to Rick. "I can appreciate your position. Pursued by an unknown threat – You're feeling at a disadvantage. You just want to ensure the safety and well-being of your people. People you've grown to care about. Like a second family to replace the one you lost. I'm sure you lost family, we all have. Believe me. I know where you're coming from."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, it is. You came here alone to try and negotiate with us. That's very brave of you, by the way. That's admirable."

"Just came to ask you this: any amount of talking gonna get you to back off? Will you stop coming after my people?"

"In all honesty, probably not."

"Tell me then – what happened to you? What brought you to this? Cannibalism – How did it come to that?"

"The simple answer? We got hungry."

Suddenly, one of the men raised his gun to Rick's head. Daryl's hand tensed on the trigger of his assault rifle. The leader spoke up before anything happened. "Greg, that wont be necessary. For the sake of this conversation, just put the gun down." 'Greg' lowered his rifle. "That's better. Shooting you isn't really our style. We're low on refrigeration. We like to keep our game alive as long as possible. We're terrible hunters. Have you ever hunted before? Animals are quick. It's hard. You spend so much time finding a good hiding place and waiting. It's pointless. So we decided to hunt easier game. People don't run from us. Hell, half the time they don't know what's happening until they wake up to see something's cut off. It's easy. We usually leave bigger groups alone. Ordinarily, we wouldn't have touched you. Lucky for you, it's been days since our last loner. We are desperate." He smirked.

The whole conversation made Danielle cringe. The Father looked sickened.

"You know what? Back up. I want to tell you something first. Did you know… a bear in the woods, if it runs out of food, will actually eat it's own cub in order to survive? It's true. That's a fact. The logic is this… if the bear dies, the cub dies anyway, but if the bear lives, it could always have another cub. When we started out, we had a few kids with us… So as you can imagine, most everything got a lot easier after dealing with that. The thought of eating strangers was very easy after coming to grips with that." It looked as though he was crying. "The thing is, I want to make this abundantly clear, we don't do this because we want to. We do this because we have no other choice. There aren't many living people left. We are running out of options. I hate to say it, but it's me or you. Considering those two options, it's very easy to make a decision. No offense."

"No, I completely understand. I have to make the same decision. The problem for you is that I have the advantage."

The man snickered, "How so?"

"You didn't really think I came here alone, did you?" Suddenly, everyone in the clearing lifted their weapons, aimed at Rick and at the woods behind him. "You can't see them."

"Well, then I'm going to call your bluff. Bold move. Stupid, but bold."

"Watch this." Rick said, holding his hand up in a mock gun. "Danielle, the big guy, left ear."

It took Danielle a second to aim and pull the trigger, but moments later the man had fallen to the ground. "Fuck, FUCK!" The man screamed, gripping the left side of his face, blood trickling down.

"You move, it gets shot off. That's my promise to you." He turned back towards the woods. "Daryl, come get their guns."

Daryl rose, walking out to the clearing by Rick. "Gladly."

"I still only see two of you." He other groups leader interjected. "How do I know it wasn't you in the woods?" he pointed, threateningly towards Daryl. Danielle gladly took the challenge, and shot the man's finger clean off.

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!" he screamed, staring at his hand in disbelief.

"I don't have all Goddamn night." Daryl smirked as he collected the groups weapons.

"Everybody out!" Rick commanded.

"What are you going to do with us?" The man asked, still in tears.

"I don't know yet. It won't be good, I can promise you that."

* * *

**Fun Fact: The issues in the graphic novels with The Hunters are actually my favorites. These were also the most fun to write. I really hope they include this in the show, 'cause I feel in the light of the apocalypse, of course some people are going to resort to cannibalism.**

**I decided I would go ahead and post everything about The Hunters today because I love it so much. **

**I'm gonna go ahead and warn you, there aren't many chapters in this story left and I wanted to kind of speed things along, so to speak. **


	26. Chapter 25

"Please, just leave us. We won't follow you. You have my word." The leader, now known to be Chris, begged.

"Not what you were saying a few minutes ago. As I recall, you made it pretty clear that you planned on hunting all of my people down and eating us. You or us, remember?" Rick said.

"Please?"

"Not gonna work. But look on the bright side, sunshine. We're probably not going to eat you." Daryl retorted.

"Rick, don't – " Gabriel started.

"You may not want to be here for this, Gabriel." He redirected his attention to Daryl and Michonne. "Put him on the picnic table." He instructed Daryl. Gabriel only backed up, not looking away as Rick, Michonne, and Daryl butchered the groveling people with their knives. They finished off by burning the bodies.

"We had to do this. They would never let us go. We had no choice." Rick said, trying to convince himself what they had done was right. "We had to do this. We don't have to like that we did it."

"I'm sorry, but there has to be another answer. This is just unacceptable. I can't think of a way to justify this." Father Gabriel spoke up, still in shock.

"What the hell is your problem? You let people you knew –" Daryl started to come at the Father defensively. Danielle grabbed his arm. "Stop." She muttered, still in shock herself.

"These people ate their own children. They were after me, my son, our families. We were their next victims. This – no matter how much you are disgusted by it – stopped that. It's hard, but maybe if you had seen those people you had locked out of your church, watched them get ripped apart, had their blood splash back on you, instead of hiding behind a fucking door, you'd be willing to do anything to keep that from happening again." Rick screamed in the Father's face. "Maybe then you would understand. Let's leave this God forsaken place. Maybe make is back by sunrise."

They returned home. Glenn had woken up and everyone was awake.

"They won't be bothering us again." Rick announced.

"You mean you – " Carol started, but seeing the looks on the peoples faces, she stopped.

Danielle stayed back, leaning up against one of the vehicles outside. "Ya all right?" Daryl asked out of concern.

She bit her lip and glanced up, breathing heavily. "I will be." She lied.

"You think it was a mistake?"

"I understand why it had to be done. I'm not gonna congratulate you or anything."

Daryl nodded in response. He couldn't argue with that. "I'm gonna talk to Rick about leaving today."

"I think that's a good idea." She sighed.

The group decided to move on that day. They offered to take Father Gabriel with them but the man declined, graciously. They suspected that after the massacre of the hunters, the minister no longer wanted to associate with them. They left him a box of provisions to hold him over for a while. He thanks them profusely and parted ways. The group headed north, back on their way to Washington, D.C.


	27. Chapter 26

**This is definitely one of my favorite chapters, just for the first scene alone. **

**Just a heads up, there are five chapters after this, so enjoy, favorite, and review!**

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By sunset, the group had made it to Virginia before they decided to stop and make camp for the night.

"You still think we did the right thing?" Daryl asked. The two had made camp inside of Danielle's SUV again for the night.

"No, not at all." She laughed. "What do you miss most?"

"Huh?"

"You know, from when there was civilization. What do you miss most?"

"Ain't you tired?"

"I am, but humor me. Look, I'll go first. I miss showers. Showers and pedicures. Now you go."

"This is stupid."

Danielle glared at him in the dark. "You need to lighten up, Dixon."

"Fine. I, uh, I miss work."

"Work?" she asked. He shook his. "Okay, I'll play along. What 'work' did you use to do?"

"Odd jobs. I mostly worked on a farm down the road. Ya know, feeding animals and building fences. It was nice having a schedule and not having to fight for your life everyday."

"That makes my answer seem really petty." She laughed.

"I also miss bacon." He joked, sliding his hand over her stomach and wrapping his arms around her. "Bacon cheeseburgers."

She buried her face in his neck. "I'm glad I met you."

"Likewise."

"You smell like dead animals." she mumbled against his skin.

"Do I? I didn't notice." He said, leaning down and kissing her. She leaned up embracing the kiss, grabbing the sides of his face to deepen it. She swung her leg over his hips, straddling him. "Thought I smelled bad?" he joked, pushing her back.

"You do, but I don't mind. Much." She giggled, leaning back down, running her hands down from his broad shoulders to his muscular arms.

"You realize everyone's in the cars not ten feet away?"

"Then we'll just have to be quiet, wont we?" She said mischievously, leaning back in. Daryl caught her by surprise and flipped her over, gaining control over the situation. He pinned her hands above her head and placed kisses down her neck and chest. They continued, slowly shedding clothes until they were both left to only pants. Danielle went to undo his and he stopped are. "Are you sure?"

She paused, he was watching her carefully. "I'm sure." She decided, undoing her own pants and positioning herself to take them off. Daryl undid his own belt, getting his pants down to his ankles and sliding them over his boots. He thrust himself into her with ease as she bit down on his shoulder. "Y'all right?" he asked in concern, stopping for a moment.

"Don't stop." She purred into his ear and for the first time in a while, they felt whole for the night.

The next day, the group pressed forward.

"We gotta be in Virginia by now." Jace sighed. He had taken over driving for the day and Danielle and Jed had been goofing off together, trying to make a joke of the long drive. "I wish we'd take the highway so we'd at least now where the hell we at." He sighed.

"Well, Rick and Daryl have a map. They've been leading the way so they must have a general idea." Jed offered.

"How lost can we really get, anyway?" Danielle scoffed. Just then, they heard a swift honk from behind. The caravan began to pull off to the side of the road and everyone directed their attention to Hershel's Honda that was bellowing smoke.

"It's over-heating." Maggie said, letting up the hood, smoke filling the air.

"We don't have enough water to waste on the car." Carol said.

Rick laid out the map over the side of the Honda. "Look. This is about where we are." He pointed to Roanoke on the map. "We make camp here for the night, Daryl and I will make a trip into town, try and find something."

"What's that there?" Jed asked, pointing to a small blue dot.

"Doesn't blue mean water? Like it's a lake or pond or something?" Carl asked.

"If you're right about where we are, then that's only a few miles into the woods." Jed said.

"He's right. If we're sure this is the road we on, Jed and I could make it into the woods and back before evening."

"See, we're not 100% sure where we are." Rick admitted, rubbing his hand along his neck. "We took a few turns too many so we might be on this road, or that one." He said, pointing at the map for emphasis.

"So we're lost?" Carl shouted. "This is just great, Dad!"

"We ain't lost. We're headin' in the right direction, we just don't know exactly where we are." Daryl defended Rick's leadership.

"We're gonna have to make a decision soon. We need water." Beth spoke up, holding baby Judith up. "She needs it for the formula."

"We'll try the woods first then. Isn't that easier?" Danielle asked.

"And what if we don't find anything?" Carol asked.

"Then we stay here the night as planned, try to go to town in the morning. We don't have very many other options." Jed added. "Dani and I will go." Jed opened the trunk and started pulling out supplies.

"Y'ain't going alone." Daryl said.

"Alright, it's settled then. We'll be back before dark." Danielle stated. With that, the group started out into the woods.


	28. Chapter 27

"Did you know he didn't know where we were?" Danielle questioned Daryl as they walked through the brush.

"I knew we weren't lost. Far as I can tell, we are near where he thinks we are."

"Have we even been following the map?"

"Yeah, for the most part."

Danielle sighed. She figured there wasn't really any reason to argue. The group was headed in the right direction, even if they had no idea where they were.

"Hey, look!" Jed exclaimed. He pointed down to the ground in front of him. "Moss!"

"That must mean –" Danielle started. The group quickened their pace and made it to a small clearing. Just beyond the trees they caught a glimpse of the sky reflecting off the cool, still surface of a decent sized pond.

Jed broke out into a sprint, running towards the welcoming sight. He disrupted the local wildlife and scared a rabbit from it's hiding place in the bushes. Without hesitation, Daryl shot the small woodland creature in the back. Paralyzed by both pain and fear, the rabbit fell over helplessly. Daryl walked over and stabbed it in the eye, silently claiming his kill.

"Supper?" Danielle laughed as she let down a few jugs they had carried with them. Jed has already made himself at home, splashing carelessly in the water. "Help me fill these." She said to the boy, kicking off her boots and wading in the water herself. Jed did as he was asked and together they filled a few gallon jugs while Daryl watched the woods.

By sundown, they had filled all of their jugs with water, had eaten the rabbit Daryl had killed, and were settling down for the night.

"Where's Jed?" Jace asked, grabbing his sleeping bag off the ground where Danielle had tossed it to make room for her to lower the seat in her SUV.

"He and Beth went for a walk."

"He sweet on 'er?" He asked.

"Isn't it obvious? He follows her around like a puppy. I think it's cute." Jace just shook his head and walked off to the tent he and his son were going to share.

"What's his problem?" Daryl asked, sauntering over from his talk with Rick. He startled Danielle by wrapping his arms around her waist from behind and kissing her neck.

"Nothing really. Did you boys have a nice talk?"

"Didn't say much. Just that he thought we would go through one of these small towns we keep passing through tomorrow before we go. He wants to stock up on gas before we get so far into the hills that we run out of options."

"That's a good idea." She sat down on the sprawled out backseat, tucking her knees to her chest and holding them close.

"I was gonna do first watch. You git some rest."

"You don't want company?" she pouted, making a motion to leave.

"Naw, you'll distract me. I should probably focus." He leaned down and kissed her soundly on the lips. She leaned up into the kiss and grasped the nape of his neck, tangling her fingers in his hair. Daryl quickly pulled back. "None of that now!" he scolded, playfully. "I need to go." And with that he walked off to the dying fire embers, waiting for morning.


	29. Chapter 28

They stopped off in a small mountain town. There couldn't be more than twenty small buildings on the main road. Rick, Daryl, Danielle, Jace, and Michonne went into town while everyone else stayed in the cars about a block away. There were only about six cars lining the street and they got as much gas as they could. They decided to make the best out of the situation and started searching each building.

"Heads up!" Jace shouted, flinging one of his knives into the eye socket of another walker. Daryl had taken a few out from farther back, using his trusty crossbow, but the group had found themselves using knives to take out the bulk of the walkers that were closing in on them. It wasn't an overwhelming amount of biters, probably twenty or so. Michonne wielded her katana gracefully, running through the pack and taking off heads left and right. Rick was viciously tearing through the walkers, stabbing them defensively in the skull while Danielle used her compact sniper rifle to take out a few, long range.

"There coming from the forest!" Rick shouted. "We need to get out of here!"

"Save the arrows!" Danielle told Daryl. "We can't go get them all!" Daryl realized she was right. Danielle covered the group as they ran back to the cars.

Suddenly, a flaming arrow flew from behind a tree, landing in the center of the heard of zombies that quickly catching up to Rick and the others.

"Wait!" Rick gasped. A figure emerged from the woods, throwing glass bottles through the crowd. As the bottles flew through the air, they spilled clear liquid. Upon contact with the spreading fire, the liquid erupted into flame, coating many of the walkers. The group stood in awe at what was happening before them. Danielle and Michonne continued to take out the stragglers and shoved a few into the flames.

When the coast was clear, the stranger approached the group. Daryl lifted his gun, defensively pointing it at the stranger.

"That was some show you put on." Rick admonished.

"Looked like you could use a hand.' The stranger shrugged. He extended his hand to Rick and added, "The name's Aaron. I'd like to speak to the leader of the group."

Rick looked to Daryl as he took the man's hand and nodded at him. Slowly, Daryl lowered his gun, understanding Rick's silent plea, but never letting his guard down. "That would be me. I'm Rick Grimes."

"I kind of figured, from what I've seen." The man admitted.

"You been watching us?" Daryl asked, staring the guy down.

"Not very long. Since you got here, really. I come from a bigger community. I'm a recruiter of sorts, I try to find survivors and bring them back to our station."

"You're military?" Jace asked.

"Some of us are. Most of us are just Average Joes. Is that something you would be interested in?"

Everyone looked to Rick, unsure of how to feel. "We have to discuss something like that." Rick admitted. "Come with us, we'll have a civil discussion about this with our whole group." With these words, the six walked back to their cars, ready to discuss their eminent futures.


	30. Chapter 29

"We have stockpiles of food. We have security walls. We have room for all of you. I promise you, our community is everything you've been looking for. I'm just here to invite you to audition for membership." Aaron pitched.

"You've got a safe, secure place to live and you're just wandering around inviting people in? What's in it for you?" Rick questioned.

"There's a lot of work to be done. We need more people to get everything done. It's mutually beneficial." He turned to Daryl, nodding at his pistol. "Are you ever gonna let your hand off that thing? I saved your lives, I came to talk peacefully. I'm unarmed. I trust you people. I only ask for that same trust in return."

"He has trust issues. You can understand." Danielle explained. She reached over Daryl's lap and put her hand over the one he was using to hold his gun and stared him in the eye.

"Sorry. Old habit." Daryl said. He took his hand off the weapon and relaxed his shoulders a little.

"Thank you." Aaron said.

"It's getting late. You're welcome to stay with us. We've been sleeping in our vehicles, but we have a few tents. You could set one up for the night. We'll discuss this further in the morning."

"No, fuck that. I'm sorry, but I'm going with him." Michonne spoke out. "He's got a group of nearly forty people. They're offering us security, and from what I gather, all they want in return is that we pull our own weight. What is there to even think about?" Everyone was astonished by the outburst. "He's not like the governor. I can tell. This isn't another Woodbury fiasco."

If anyone hated the governor, it was Michonne. Her argument was convincing enough for the group.

"She's right.' Hershel spoke out. "If we let this opportunity pass, what's the point? We came out to find something just like this. Maybe this is an answer from God." Everyone nodded in agreement.

Danielle looked to Daryl, but she could tell he was waiting for Rick's approval. She felt like this was something they should try, something worth while. Jace and Jed looked thrilled with the idea. What did they really have to lose, anyway?

"Dad?" Carl spoke up. Rick turned towards his son. They looked at each other for the first time in what seemed like ages. "For Judith, for me. Just say yes." Carl pleaded.

Rick hung his head. "If that's what everyone wants, okay. Aaron will stay with us tonight. First thing in the morning, we will leave. Get a good night's rest." Rick stated bluntly. Then the leader walked off into the woods. Daryl, not missing a beat, left his place beside Danielle, giving her a small, apologetic smirk before following Rick into the woods.

Danielle was sprawled out on the backseat, her hand clutching her necklace, when Daryl opened the door, letting himself in and lying down beside her for the night.

"What was all that about?" Danielle asked, relieved that Daryl had come back. She sat up and looked him in the eye.

"Rick had a lot of concerns. We made an escape plan incase we get to this camp and it's a trap."

"Do you really think that?"

"I dunno."

"You think whatever Rick tells you to." She spat, annoyed that Daryl wouldn't tell her the truth.

"That's not true."

"It is. You do whatever he says. You can't even think for yourself. You're a smart, good, valuable person. Why can't you see that?"

Daryl looked down, almost shamefully. Danielle reached over and picked up his chin, forcing him to look at her. "I want you to communicate with me instead of running after Rick. Sometimes I'm so scared you both won't come back."

"That'll never happen. Don't you know, us Dixon's are indestructible?" he scoffed. He leaned for a kissed her gently. "I'm sorry. You're right. I think it's a good idea. The whole reason we left was to find Washington's refugee camp. I don't see the difference between stayin' here and joining these people or wastin' more gas and time and effort and drivin' all the way to Washington to see if something better is waitin' for us."

"Thank you." She smiled. "I completely agree. There might not be anything better out there. Why waste this opportunity?"

"Stayin' alive is pretty fuckin' important, but there's gotta be somethin' beyond that, right? For me, I think that's you. I can't imagine anythin' better waitin' for me. I'll do whatever you think is right. I'll follow you." He said, assuredly.

"I'd rather you take the lead." She teased, playfully shoving his shoulder.

"I think I could manage that, ma'am." He smiled mischievously, looking at her between the curtain of the fringe hanging on his forehead. He pounced on her, pushing her down onto the seat, fully devouring her body with his rough touch. He snuck his calloused hands up her shirt, embracing her rib cage and gently clawing at the skin there. The sensation of his rough touch sent chills up her spine as he kissed and bit her neck. He pushed her shirt up around her neck and started to ravish her chest with his mouth and firm hands. She suddenly became very aware of where they were and how close everyone was to their vehicle. She pulled her shirt up over her chin and stifled her own moans with her own top.

"Wanna be bound and gagged, huh?" Daryl murmured against her breast. He sat up on his knees and pulled a rag out of his back pocket and grabbed her wrists, forcing them above her head, tying her wrists and binding them to the inside handle on the door. She didn't protest. Something about the animalistic, carnal lust his eyes were burning with made her want to acquiesce. He sat back and admired his work. Seeing her in only her bra and panties, completely vulnerable made him feel so powerful. He wasn't used to being totally in control of something, especially something he cared about so much. Overwhelmed with the feeling of power, he hooked his thumbs under the sides of her panties and ripped them off in one fluid motion. Danielle rolled her head back, staring at her bound hands. Something about not seeing what was about to happen completely aroused her. She heard the belt buckle pop, the zipper rip open. She imagined Daryl springing forth from his boxers, and then gasped as he thrust into her. She felt his arms on her, simultaneously holding down her shoulders while supporting himself, staring down at the pendent lying between her breasts. It was almost painful, the control he had over her, but she couldn't bring herself to care as she gave herself over to pleasure. Only being able to move her hips in this position, she began to meet his thrusts with equal fervor. His breath was hastening and she knew he was close. The more she thrust against him, the closer she became to climax until suddenly she screamed into her gag and Daryl collapsed on top of her, completely spent.


	31. Chapter 30

**I decided that since today was the premier of The Walking Dead season 4 trailer, I would upload these last two chapters for you guys in celebration! I only wish that I could be at Comic Con. I'm beyond pumped for season 4 already! I literally cried watching the trailer! It is beyond beyond amazing! **

**I hope you enjoy, review and favorite! **

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Danielle rubbed her wrists, wishing the marks from last nights sexcapades would go away. She blushed at the memories of what she had done last night and pulled on a long sleeved shirt to cover the marks.

They had woken up early to start packing for their venture to the self-proclaimed "Safe-Zone" today. Rick let Aaron ride with him and they led the way. They hadn't driven far and were crossing over a bridge into a large city before they saw a flare set off in the close proximity. "The runners. That's their cry for help." Aaron breathed out. He instructed Rick to stop the vehicle.

"Why are we stopping?" Jed asked from the other car. They all exchanged wayward glances as they followed in suit and stopped the vehicle, having no idea what was going on. Looking down over the rails on the bridge, they could see the road below was full of biters.

As they got close enough, Aaron recognized his companions. "Heath and Scott." He muttered. The two were surrounded by walkers. "We can't leave them." He reasoned.

"We'll have to be quick. We'll get swarmed." Rick commanded. Aaron jumped out of the vehicle and ran towards his companions.

"Take your sister to the others. Stay put. We'll be right back." Rick instructed Carl as he kicked them out of the truck and drove off after their savior. Daryl took the bike, driving it straight into the danger. He shook his head at Danielle as he passed by her window, silently telling them to stay put.

"The fuck is goin' on?" Jace asked as Carl climbed into the backseat of the vehicle, handing Judith to Danielle.

"Those guys down there. He knows them." Carl said. Judith was waking up and started to whine so Danielle cradled her closer to her chest, hushing the cranky babe.

Down below them, Rick and Daryl helped the strangers into the truck. One of the men couldn't stand. From their position, they could see his left leg was limp. Aaron and the other man had to shoot a few walkers as they started to swarm the truck. The men managed to get inside the vehicle and headed back towards the group on the bridge. Daryl was left on his own, running towards his motorcycle and dodging the desperate grabs from the hungry geeks. Danielle held her breath as she watched him try to crank the bike, finally getting it started and speeding away in the knick of time.

They slowly exited the vehicles when Rick pulled up, Daryl not far behind.

"That was a close one." Carol said.

"You can say that again." Michonne added.

"Guys, this is Heath." Rick introduced the man to the others, then opened the back door to the truck. "And this is Scott."

"Was he bit?" Maggie asked, instantly locking eyes on the blood on his pants.

"No!" Heath cried, defensively. "He landed wrong. It's broken. We're lucky you guys showed up when you did."

"That's gonna get infected." Danielle noted, still holding Judith. Daryl dropped the kickstand on the bike and walked over to her, taking his rightful place at her side and putting his arm around her, trying to comfort her after the death-defying stunt he just pulled.

"We have doctors. Surgeon's even. We're not far from the Safe-Zone. Maybe another hour." Aaron reasoned.

"We should go then." Carl said, matter – of – factly. Carl joined the others in Danielle's SUV and the new men rode with Rick as they continued on their venture to the Safe – Zone.


	32. Chapter 31

**Forewarning, I left this story wide open only because I'm not sure if I'll pick it up again. As of right now, I have no plans to do it only because I've invested in my **_**Angels and Saints**_** stories and have no ideas for what would happen next in this story, although I would like to continue if only to include The Saviors in the story line. **

**I'd really just like to thank HermioneandMarcus, HaloHunter89, MAR76, Maddy120296, vexingvixen7, histoirejolie, Leyshla Gisel, VealMaster, and various others for giving this story the time of day and being such avid readers and reviewers. Thank you all so much!**

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They reached the gates sooner than they imagined. Carl broke into a smile as soon as the gates came into view. Danielle couldn't help but smile. Poor Carl hadn't had much of a childhood of late and it was nice to see him smile.

Aaron yells something up to the men manning the gate and slowly the gate opens. Rick pulls in with the other vehicles close behind and they all park in a line. Heath and Aaron exit the truck and they help Scott to his feet, helping the man into a nearby building. Shortly after, Rick saunters up to Daryl and they talk briefly before approaching the rest of the group.

"Aaron says he has to talk to their leader, Douglas. He has to interview us, one-by-one, before we are allowed to stay." Rick explains.

"What kind of interview?" Hershel asks.

"He said they have to assign jobs and housing positions. The questions just help in the process."

"That's not sketchy at all." Jed murmured.

The group stood around their cars, waiting for clearance to see Douglas and taking in their surroundings. They had power. They had water. They had supplies. There was shelter. In short, it was paradise.

Soon, Aaron comes into view. "Rick, He'll see you now." Rick followed Aaron to a modest looking house. "Answer all his questions honestly, even if you think you shouldn't. He's waiting for you."

He said simply, stopping at the door. Rick opened the door. The house seemed empty. "Douglas?" he questioned, walking through the house.

"Weird being in a house after all this time." An unfamiliar voice said. "One that isn't ravaged, looted, or burnt." Rick turned to face the man. "I'm Douglas. Douglas Monroe. It's nice to meet you."

"Rick Grimes." He said plainly, stepping forward and extending his hand.

"Aaron says good things about you and your group."

"What exactly am I here for?"

"To talk. That's all. Have a seat." They both sat down at a nearby table, directly across from each other. "Make no mistake, most of the reason you're standing before me is based on what Aaron's observed. He watches people for a long time before approaching them with an offer. It's amazing how much you can tell from a person based on how they act when they don't think they're being watched. This community had been around less than a year. I was on my own for three months. How long has your group survived?"

"14 months by our count. It could be a little inaccurate."

"Remarkable. We need more people like you. To survive out there on your own for so long, you're equipped to take on almost anything. What did you do for a living before all of this?"

"I was a police officer."

"Well, that settles it. You're our new constable."

"Constable?"

"Having your group in our mix, I believe that puts our capacity at over 60. We'll need someone to oversee disagreements, keep order."

"That's how this works? You say what we do and we do it?"

"No, it's open to discussion. I assume you enjoyed being a police officer."

"Don't get me wrong. Constable is fine."

"Good. The other part of our deal is that aside from being fed and protected, you get your own place to live. We're in the middle of expanding and I'm afraid we wont have enough homes for all of your people. Some of you will have to share."

"That won't be an issue. Coming from where we have, we're more than used to it. Our group is mostly compiled of families. Couples and parents with children."

"Excellent. Well, Rick, that will be all. We're done. There will be a tour and a meet and greet at dinner. I'd like to talk to your people before we do home assignments. Welcome to the community. "

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**And there we have it, guys. I feel like this accurately sums up Season 4 if it went by the comics, leaving it with a cliffhanger for good measure. Like I said before, I wanted to leave this in a happy ending while still leaving room for a sequel if and when the mood strikes. **

**That all being said, I have started a new Daryl fic that should now be posted for your viewing pleasure. It's called _Second Chances_, if you're interested. It's not Daryl and Danielle, but it's something kind of similar, with a slight twist. I hope it's a worthy substitute for _Safety Not Guaranteed_. **

** Reviews are encouraged and appreciated! **


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